A type of sunscreen that blocks the kind of ultraviolet radiation which has been linked to some cancers and available only outside the United States, has received federal approval on Monday.
While other sunscreens mainly block UVB rays Anthelios SX contains ecamsule, which is an ingredient that can block ultraviolet A, or UVA, radiation better than other sunscreen ingredients, which are currently sold in the United States.The Food and Drug Administration has long associated UVB rays with sunburn whereas UVA rays have been recognized as a deeper penetrating radiation.
Health care experts suspect a link between UVA exposure and longer-term effects such as wrinkles, squamous and basal cell cancers as well as melanoma.
French cosmetics company L'Oreal SA has manufactured Anthelios with a sun protection factor of 15.
Ecamsule or Mexoryl SX is one of the three active ingredients of the sunscreen. The sunscreens manufactured by the company and sold in Canada and Europe had included Mexoryl since 1993.
