On June 9, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it approved bemotrizinol as an ingredient in sunscreen products. This is the first time in 25 years the FDA has added a new ingredient to its list of approved actives in sunscreens.
Consumers in Europe and other countries have enjoyed broad-spectrum protection from bemotrizinol, or BEMT, in their sunscreen products for 27 years. “Bemotrizinol has been used safely in Europe for decades, and FDA’s action will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products,” stated U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
U.S. consumers can find bemotrizinol on the shelves later this year under the brand name Parsol Shield by DSM Nutritional Products. After an 18-month exclusivity period, bemotrizinol is fair game for other manufacturers.
Why Is the U.S. So Far Behind Europe?
Bemotrizinol has been in use in Europe since 1999.
It was first submitted to the FDA for approval in 2005, but stalled for decades thanks to a notoriously slow, red-tape-heavy system for approving new over-the-counter products. Then, the CARES Act overhauled this convoluted process for a more streamlined one in 2020. DSM submitted a new request for bemotrizinol to the FDA in 2024, making it the first ingredient to go through this simplified process.
It took over 20 years for bemotrizinol to get its stamp of approval in the U.S. This marks the end of a regulatory standstill that kept more effective, safer UV filters out of U.S. products. It also signifies a shift in how the FDA evaluates new nonprescription drug ingredients.
“This is a great day for American consumers and everyone who has fought to improve sunscreen options and close the UVA protection gap in U.S. sunscreens,” said David Andrews, Ph.D. with the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Why Bemotrizinol Is a Win for Public Health
With the exception of avobenzone and zinc oxide, most existing sunscreen ingredients approved in the U.S. don’t effectively protect against UVA rays, which are a primary driver of skin cancer and premature aging. So while many American sunscreen ingredients do well at preventing sunburns (caused by UVB rays), they don’t do a great job at preventing cancer, wrinkles, and discoloration.
So why aren’t avobenzone and zinc oxide up to snuff? Avobenzone is not very photostable, meaning it breaks down in the sun. And zinc oxide can leave a white cast on the skin, which is a turn-off for many consumers.
Conversely, bemotrizinol is very photostable, offering more effective sun protection than avobenzone. It is also a chemical UV filter, so it doesn’t cast white on the skin. Another benefit of bemotrizinol is that it’s absorbed through the skin at much lower levels than other chemical filters.
Data shows that bemotrizinol does not meaningfully show up in the bloodstream, which is typically the case for chemical sunscreen actives. For example, a study published in JAMA shows that four common chemical filters were absorbed into the bloodstream at levels that significantly exceeded the FDA‘s threshold for requiring additional safety testing.
Bemotrizinol is considered “Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective” (GRASE) by the FDA—a first for chemical UV filters in the U.S.
Chemical Sunscreens vs Mineral Sunscreens
Approved sunscreen ingredients in the U.S. fall under two categories: chemical filters and mineral (physical) filters. Of the 17 approved sunscreen ingredients on the FDA sunscreen monograph (list), 15 are chemical filters.
The most common chemical UV filters used in sunscreens include:
- Avobenzone
- Octocrylene
- Homosalate
- Octisalate
- Octinoxate
- Oxybenzone
Chemical sunscreens are absorbed into your skin, where they soak up UV radiation, convert it to a tiny bit of heat, and release it. Mineral sunscreens sit on top of your skin and physically block or scatter UV rays so they don’t penetrate.
Prior to bemotrizinol’s approval, the two mineral filters—titanium dioxide and zinc oxide—were the only sunscreen ingredients that were GRASE. This means the FDA considers bemotrizinol, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide the only sunscreen actives with enough safety and effectiveness data to be safe for everyday use.
So while the other chemical UV filters are still allowed on the market, they don’t have the same level of confirmed safety data. This makes it important for the American consumer to properly vet the sunscreen products they use.
So That’s Why Sunscreens Have a Drug Panel
SPF products are one of the few skincare items the FDA treats as over-the-counter drugs. This is why sunscreen bottles have a “Drug Facts” panel—the same standardized label you see on pain relievers, allergy meds, and other OTC products. That panel is required because sunscreen ingredients must meet FDA standards for safety, effectiveness, and proper use.
If you want to know what active ingredients are in a sunscreen product — whether bemotrizinol or other chemical or mineral actives — this is where you’ll find it.
By contrast, regular moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and most other beauty products are regulated as cosmetics, have little to no federal oversight and don’t require a Drug Facts label. So when you’re shopping at Target, Ulta, or Sephora, products with SPF look different on the back label because they’re legally in a different category.
