Sunscreens in the U.S. Might Finally Be Getting Better - The Cut

saved Save this article to read it later. Find this story in your account’s ‘Saved for Later’ section. Comment Photo: Catherine Robotis//UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images If you’ve ever smuggled a handful of sunscreen into your luggage from Europe or Asia (raises hand), there’s good news for you: Sunscreens here in the U.S. are now one step closer to being as good as what we get overseas. For the first time in over 25 years, the FDA approved a new ingredient as safe to use in U.S. sunscreens, bemotrizinol. According to the FDA’s announcement, the chemical UV filter provides protection against ultraviolet A and B rays and has low levels of absorption through the skin into the body. Plenty of countries have had bemotrizinol cleared for safety for decades, but the U.S. — where the sunscreen-regulatory process is notoriously strict — hasn’t approved a new filter since 1999. Now, we’re finally catching up with modern-day sunscreen formulations. Experts are cautiously optimistic about this new development. Carl D’Ruiz, senior manager of beauty and care-science advocacy at ingredient manufacturer dsm-firmenich, called the FDA approval a “catalyst, not an endpoint” for sunscreens as we know it. “With BEMT approved under the FDA’s first Tier 1 OMOR pathway, we are not only raising the bar for regulatory progress, but also unlocking a new generation of sunscreen innovation in the U.S.,” he told The Cut. And it’s not just going to help make sunscreens more lightweight and wearable — “BEMT also enables highly photostable, true broad‑spectrum protection, which is critical in the fight against skin cancer and premature skin aging,” he added. Some cult-classic sunscreens that we love are formulated with bemotrizinol, including the popular J-beauty Bioré UV sunscreen, Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun:Rice + Probiotics sunscreen, and the French-pharmacy-favorite La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios UVMune 400. The FDA’s approval doesn’t mean these will immediately become available in the U.S., but it’s certainly a promising development. “There are still ten or more filters that other countries have that the United States does not,” Charlotte Palermino, aesthetician and Dieux co-founder, told The Cut. “This is where I hope BEMT becomes a motivating force and we get more filters.” Hopefully the next one doesn’t take another two decades. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.