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Fluoride Facts:
Fluoride confusion is the rise.
The truth? It keeps your teeth strong, protects against cavities, and supports a healthy smile at any age. Our guide cuts through the noise so you can feel confident about your choices and do what's best for yourself and your family.
Get the facts about fluoride
The truth? It keeps your teeth strong, protects against cavities, and supports a healthy smile at any age. Our guide cuts through the noise so you can feel confident about your choices and do what's best for yourself and your family.
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Symptoms Treated
Symptoms Treated
More specifically:
Bemotrizinol is a sunscreen active ingredient, not a treatment for a medical condition. It is used to help prevent sunburn and reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by UV exposure. Specifically it addresses: Sunburn (UVB protection) Long-term UV-related skin aging, including collagen breakdown and loss of skin firmness (UVA protection) Inadequate broad-spectrum coverage from existing chemical filters, particularly for people with deeper skin tones who have avoided mineral sunscreens due to white cast
Common Products
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Dosing Information
Bemotrizinol is approved for use in sunscreen formulations at concentrations up to 6% as an active ingredient. It is not a standalone product — it is an ingredient within a sunscreen formula. Application guidance follows standard sunscreen use:
- Apply liberally and evenly to all exposed skin approximately 15 minutes before sun exposure
- Use approximately one ounce (a shot glass full) to cover the entire body, or about a teaspoon for face and neck
- Reapply every 2 hours, or immediately after swimming or sweating
- Approved for adults and children 6 months of age and older (pending FDA final order, anticipated June 2026)
A Note to Families:
While you might have seen media reports or social media posts on observational studies examining potential associations between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes (such as autism), it’s important to note that these studies do not demonstrate a causal relationship. In other words, there is currently no scientific evidence establishing that taking acetaminophen during pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental conditions.
Quick Facts:
1. Scientific and medical authorities around the world recognize acetaminophen as the only analgesic considered safe for use throughout an entire pregnancy when used according to the Drug Facts label.
2. There are no studies showing that acetaminophen use in children or during pregnancy causes autism.
3. Autism has many known risk factors, including genetics, but there is no clear, single cause.
4. Major health authorities like the FDA, CDC, and healthcare organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) do not have warnings against acetaminophen use during pregnancy based on any known risk of autism and all recommend acetaminophen as the safest analgesic to use during pregnancy for short-term pain relief.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why is acetaminophen used during pregnancy?
Scientific and medical authorities around the world recognize acetaminophen as the only pain reliever and fever reducer considered safe for use throughout an entire pregnancy when used according to the Drug Facts label, which specifically reminds pregnant women to always consult their healthcare provider before use. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states that: "Acetaminophen remains a safe, trusted option for pain relief during pregnancy.”
What is autism and does current science indicate what causes it?
Autism is a complex condition with many contributing factors, including genetic, environmental, and prenatal. Most scientists agree that the causes of autism are not simple, nor can they be traced back to one single factor like medication.
In fact, the Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a non-profit organization funding scientific autism research, specifically states that: it is disingenuous and misleading to boil autism's causes down to one simple thing," as there are hundreds of genes linked to autism in addition to other complex environmental factors.
Additionally, the most recent and rigorous research on this topic does not show a causal link to autism. The 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) analyzed nearly 2.5 million children using the gold-standard sibling comparison method, which controls for shared genetics and family environment, and found no association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy or infancy and neurodevelopmental issues such as autism.
In fact, the Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a non-profit organization funding scientific autism research, specifically states that: it is disingenuous and misleading to boil autism's causes down to one simple thing," as there are hundreds of genes linked to autism in addition to other complex environmental factors.
Additionally, the most recent and rigorous research on this topic does not show a causal link to autism. The 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) analyzed nearly 2.5 million children using the gold-standard sibling comparison method, which controls for shared genetics and family environment, and found no association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy or infancy and neurodevelopmental issues such as autism.
Why is it important to address fever during pregnancy?
High or long-lasting fevers can harm both the mother and baby and should be taken very seriously. Risks associated with leaving a fever untreated include birth defects, preterm labor, miscarriage, dehydration, or problems with the placenta, which significantly outweigh the risk of treatment.
What do regulatory authorities and major health organizations say?
The CDC and FDA agree acetaminophen is the safest analgesic to use during pregnancy for short-term pain relief, and recommend women to be cautious about overuse, which is why it is always recommended to follow the Drug Facts label and speak to your healthcare provider.
- CDC Yellow Book (Current as of April 23, 2025): “Acetaminophen remains the non-opioid analgesic of choice during pregnancy.”
- FDA’s Acetaminophen Page (Current as of August 14, 2025): “To date, FDA has not found clear evidence that appropriate use of acetaminophen during pregnancy causes adverse pregnancy, birth, neurobehavioral, or developmental outcomes.”
Additionally, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Health, a professional organization for obstetricians with subspecialty training in maternal-fetal medicine, stated on September 25, 2025 that it: "...continues to advise physicians and patients that acetaminophen is an appropriate medication to treat pain and fever during pregnancy…the weight of scientific evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy causes an increased risk for autism or ADHD is simply inconclusive…”
- CDC Yellow Book (Current as of April 23, 2025): “Acetaminophen remains the non-opioid analgesic of choice during pregnancy.”
- FDA’s Acetaminophen Page (Current as of August 14, 2025): “To date, FDA has not found clear evidence that appropriate use of acetaminophen during pregnancy causes adverse pregnancy, birth, neurobehavioral, or developmental outcomes.”
Additionally, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Health, a professional organization for obstetricians with subspecialty training in maternal-fetal medicine, stated on September 25, 2025 that it: "...continues to advise physicians and patients that acetaminophen is an appropriate medication to treat pain and fever during pregnancy…the weight of scientific evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy causes an increased risk for autism or ADHD is simply inconclusive…”
Is autism really on the rise?
When it comes to reports or claims that autism rates are higher than they were decades ago, the medical community’s ability to now better recognize and diagnose autism must be taken into consideration. Advances in medical knowledge, broader diagnostic criteria, and increased awareness among healthcare providers, educators, and parents mean that more cases are being identified today than in decades past. In other words, autism may not actually be “more common” than it once was; rather, we are better at detecting and recording it.
Is there a cure for autism?
No. There is no cure for autism. Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition influenced by many genetic and environmental factors. Treatments and supports focus on improving quality of life, communication, and daily functioning, not on “curing” autism.
What is leucovorin and why are there claims that it can “cure” autism?
Leucovorin (loo-ko-vor-in) is the prescription (Rx) form of folinic acid. It is officially approved by FDA for use in cancer therapy and as an antidote to certain medications. Some small studies have looked at leucovorinin individuals with cerebral folate deficiency (CFD). That’s why some families highlight it as promising. But it’s important to be clear: Leucovorin is not FDA-approved for autism or CFD. Its use for CFD is considered “off-label,” based on limited clinical evidence and physician judgement. On September 24, the FDA published a notice they intended to request that the drug sponsor submit an application to add information on CFD to the prescription drug label. Current research on its effectiveness in treating CFD is limited and preliminary. Calling it a “cure” for autism is misleading and not supported by robust, peer-reviewed evidence.
Fluoride Facts:
Fluoride confusion is the rise.
The truth? It keeps your teeth strong, protects against cavities, and supports a healthy smile at any age. Our guide cuts through the noise so you can feel confident about your choices and do what's best for yourself and your family.
Get the facts about fluorideThe truth? It keeps your teeth strong, protects against cavities, and supports a healthy smile at any age. Our guide cuts through the noise so you can feel confident about your choices and do what's best for yourself and your family.
Safety Guide
Safety Guide
Bemotrizinol has one of the most thoroughly reviewed safety profiles of any sunscreen ingredient submitted for US approval.
- FDA status: Proposed GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective) — December 2025. Final order anticipated June 2026. GRASE is the highest safety classification in the US sunscreen system, the same tier as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
- Systemic absorption: Clinical studies found blood plasma levels well below the FDA's defined safety threshold of 0.5 ng/mL even under maximum daily use, with no accumulation over time.
- Skin penetration: Bemotrizinol's molecular weight of 627.81 g/mol exceeds the 500 Dalton rule, indicating low skin penetration potential.
- Irritation: Rarely causes skin irritation. A 21-day repeated insult patch test in 224 subjects found minimal dermal irritation and no sensitization signal at 6% concentration.
- Reef safety: Not identified as reef-harmful. Does not appear on restricted ingredient lists in Hawaii or the US Virgin Islands, which ban oxybenzone and octinoxate.
- Pediatric use: Proposed for approval for infants 6 months and older — one of only three US sunscreen ingredients with that classification.
- Precautions: As with any sunscreen, discontinue use if skin irritation or rash develops. Keep out of eyes. Not recommended for infants under 6 months — keep young babies out of direct sunlight instead.
