The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new sunscreen ingredient, bemotrizinol, or BEMT, which has been used safely in Europe for decades. This approval is welcome news to many, as there are few choices on US store shelves that are both safe and effective.

What is Bemotrizinol?

Bemotrizinol is a chemical filter that provides adequate UVA protection, is not easily absorbed into the skin, and has the most robust safety data on any UV filter to date, according to Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG). It is highly photostable, meaning it won’t break down when hot summer sun hits your skin, unlike avobenzone, currently the only non-mineral filter in the US that provides meaningful UVA coverage.

BEMT can be combined with zinc oxide to provide strong broad spectrum protection with less white cast. Of the 550 sunscreen products recommended by EWG in their 2026 report, 497 are predominantly made from minerals that sit on the skin and physically deflect and block the sun’s rays.

Why is this approval important?

The approval of bemotrizinol will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products, according to US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. For decades, Americans have used outdated sunscreen tech while the rest of the world moved forward. This approval will help change that, said David Andrews, chief science officer at EWG.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.