FDA clears first new U.S. sunscreen filter since 1999
Bemotrizinol, used abroad for decades, has been approved for over-the-counter sunscreen products in the U.S.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved bemotrizinol for over-the-counter sunscreen use, marking the first new sunscreen ingredient allowed for U.S. consumers since 1999. The decision expands sunscreen options at a time when UV protection is a central summer health concern, and Guy German of Binghamton University wrote in The Conversation that the ingredient can filter both UVA and UVB rays.
The FDA announced the approval on June 9, 2026. German, an associate professor of biomedical engineering who studies skin science, wrote that bemotrizinol is new to the U.S. market but has been used by consumers in Europe and Asia for decades.
What bemotrizinol does
Bemotrizinol is a chemical sunscreen ingredient, according to German. Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing ultraviolet photons and releasing the energy as heat after a chemical reaction, he wrote, while mineral sunscreens such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide form a protective film that absorbs most UV light and reflects some of it.
German wrote that bemotrizinol can screen both UVA and UVB radiation, which means it does not need to be paired with separate filters to cover both parts of the UV spectrum. Existing chemical sunscreens in the U.S. often combine avobenzone, used for UVA protection, with UVB filters such as octinoxate, octocrylene, octisalate and homosalate, according to German.
Bemotrizinol also resists breakdown in sunlight better than some older chemical sunscreen ingredients, German wrote. He said that photostability can allow protection to last four to eight hours, compared with products that need reapplication every two hours or so.
German also noted that bemotrizinol molecules tend to remain on the surface of the skin rather than being more readily absorbed into the bloodstream. He wrote that concerns about absorption of some sunscreen ingredients have not been shown to cause harm in people, though such concerns may discourage some people from using sunscreen.
Why UVA and UVB both matter
Ultraviolet light makes up about 10% of the sun’s rays that reach Earth, according to German. He wrote that about 95% of solar UV is UVA, with wavelengths of 315 to 400 nanometers, and about 5% is UVB, with wavelengths of 280 to 315 nanometers.
Scientists once focused mainly on UVB because it causes sunburn, German wrote. Researchers now understand that UVA also damages skin, penetrates more deeply and, along with UVB, can harm DNA and contribute to skin cancer, according to German.
The body’s natural protection comes from melanin in the epidermis, German wrote. Sun exposure can prompt skin to make more melanin, producing a tan, but he said that added pigment does not fully protect skin from UV damage.
Sun Protection Factor, or SPF, measures how well a sunscreen blocks UVB rays, according to German. He wrote that SPF 30 allows about 1/30 of UVB rays to reach the skin, blocking roughly 97%, and said dermatologists generally recommend sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
European regulators approved bemotrizinol in 2000, according to German. He wrote that people who bought sunscreen in places such as Mexico, Europe, Canada or South Korea may already have used products containing the ingredient.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.