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# Here comes the sun
- URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/here-comes-the-sun/
- Published: 2026-06-11T00:48:44.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-11T00:48:44.000Z
- Description: Your sunscreen is lying to you.
- Author: JR Ball
- Tags: Last Call

The summer sun in South Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast beaches is brutal. Your current sunscreen isn't the best, but help from Europe is on the way.

**Why it matters:** Baton Rouge's UV index hits extreme levels by noon from April through July, with unprotected skin burning in as little as 10 minutes. Most American sunscreens deliver only about 25% of the UVA protection their labels imply.

**What's been missing:** The SPF number on your bottle measures UVB—the rays that cause sunburns, not the ones that cause cancer.

- UVA rays penetrate deeper, drive skin cancer and premature aging, and current U.S. chemical filters don't block them reliably.
- The FDA just approved the [first new sunscreen ingredient](url) in more than 25 years—bemotrizinol—which blocks both types of UV rays and doesn't break down in heat or direct sun.
- Neutrogena and others are expected to have bemotrizinol-based products on shelves by September.

**What to buy now:** Mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide is your best current option—stable, balanced UVA and UVB protection without a prescription.

- Stick to SPF 50 or lower; higher numbers don't improve UVA coverage and create false confidence.
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios and CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen are widely available at local drugstores and earn consistently high marks from dermatologists.

**The bottom line:** Better sun protection is coming—but zinc oxide, reapplied every two hours, is the right call right now.