L'Oreal USA Receives FDA Approval For New Sunscreen Formula

L'Oreal Sunscreen

L'Or ' al USA, the U.S. subsidiary of global beauty company L'Or ' al SA, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new sunscreen formula containing Mexoryl SX, a unique organic filter that is highly protective against short UVA waves. It is the first time the FDA has approved a new sunscreen filter since 1988.

Mexoryl SX is owned by L'Or ' al, and is only available in L'Or ' al products. Mexoryl SX is the first and only sun filter available in the U.S. in a photo-stable form designed to protect the skin from the harmful short UVA waves (320-340 nms) of the sun. UVA waves (320-400 nms) account for up to 95% of the UV radiation that reaches the Earth's surface.

Mexoryl SX is particularly effective against short UVA waves. Unlike other filters that offer UVA protection, Mexoryl SX is photo-stable, meaning it does not degrade when it is exposed to the sun for long periods of time. Mexoryl SX was first patented by L'Or ' al in 1982, and is now sold in the company's products in Europe, Asia, Canada and Latin America.

"Mexoryl SX is owned by L'Or ' al, and is only available in L'Or ' al products. It is the culmination of many years of research and testing," said Alan Meyers, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at L'Or ' al USA. "We are pleased that the FDA has approved L'Or ' al USA's use of Mexoryl SX in a new sunscreen formula. We now have the tools to give U.S. consumers very high UVA protection as well as broad-spectrum sun protection."

Mexoryl SX, which particularly covers short UVA waves, has been approved as part of a new L'Or ' al USA daily moisturizing cream with sunscreen that also contains Octocrylene and Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) " ingredients that offer coverage against, respectively, UVB waves and long UVA waves. When combined with a traditional UVA filter that provides protection against the longer UVA waves, formulations containing Mexoryl SX provide complete broad-spectrum sun protection.

L'Or ' al sought to first introduce Mexoryl SX to the U.S. market as part of a daily moisturizing cream with sunscreen because the company believes that U.S. consumers should consider UVA protection to be an important part of their daily skincare routine. UVA waves represent 90% - 95% of all UV rays that reach the Earth. Unlike UVB waves, which remain primarily at the epidermal level, UVA waves penetrate deeper into the dermis or base layer of the skin. UVA waves can also pass through glass, and occasionally through clothing.

"Most people think about UVB rays as being the problem in terms of sun exposure. In reality, UVA accounts for over 80% of the damage that occurs to the skin in terms of aging, DNA damage and ultimately skin cancer," said Dr. Darrell Rigel, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. "UVA rays are present all year long (even in the winter) and they can penetrate through clouds and windows. When protecting your skin you need a product that you can use every day against the harmful effects of UVA and UVB rays."

The first L'Or ' al product containing Mexoryl SX to be released in the U.S. market will be ANTHELIOS SX, a daily moisturizing cream with sunscreen that will be sold by the L'Or ' al brand La Roche-Posay. The product will be sold from this Fall and will be available in select pharmacies and drugstores as well as doctors' offices. L'Or ' al also intends to launch daily moisturizing products containing Mexoryl SX in some of its other brands in the future, and to introduce more sunscreen formulations containing Mexoryl SX.

L'Or ' al is the beauty industry's leader in scientific and consumer research. L'Or ' al invests more than 3% of sales in Research and Development each year, and in 2005 committed $625 million to cosmetic and dermatological research.