The FDA Just Approved a New Sunscreen Filter—And Dermatologists Are Here For It
"I will be the first in line to purchase it," says one dermatologist.
Reported by Women's Health Magazine.
For decades, American sunscreen has quietly lagged behind the rest of the world. Europeans have had access to lighter, more effective formulas while U.S. shelves stayed stocked with the same limited roster of filters — some of which are still under federal safety review. That gap just got a lot smaller. According to Women's Health Magazine, the FDA has approved bemotrizinol as a permitted active sunscreen ingredient, marking the first new addition to the approved list in over twenty years.
Until now, only two ingredients carried the FDA's "Generally Recognized As Safe and Effective" (GRASE) designation: the mineral filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Common chemical options like oxybenzone and avobenzone remain available but are still under safety scrutiny. Bemotrizinol — a chemical filter that's been standard in European sunscreens for years — joins that GRASE category because its skin absorption is low, clearing a bar that other chemical filters haven't yet met.
Why dermatologists are genuinely excited
The ingredient's advantages go beyond regulatory paperwork. Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, points out that bemotrizinol delivers broader UV coverage than existing U.S.-approved filters — particularly against long-wave UVA rays, the wavelength that penetrates deepest into skin and is most closely linked to skin cancer development. He calls the news "extremely exciting," and notes the formula is unlikely to irritate even sensitive skin types. Ife J. Rodney, MD, founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics, adds that bemotrizinol is photostable, meaning it breaks down more slowly under sun exposure and may offer longer-lasting protection between reapplications. Meanwhile, Gary Goldenberg, MD, a board-certified New York dermatologist, highlights that it works synergistically with other sunscreen ingredients — delivering higher SPF at lower concentrations. "We have been stuck in the past, while the rest of the world enjoys superior formulas," Goldenberg said flatly.
Products containing bemotrizinol aren't on U.S. shelves yet, though manufacturers have reportedly been anticipating this approval and may already be testing formulations. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary framed the move as a consumer access issue, stating that "Americans deserve timely access to the best safe, effective, and consumer-friendly over-the-counter products available." Zeichner put it more personally: he says he'll be first in line when bemotrizinol sunscreens hit the market.
The bottom line: Better sun protection — broader, longer-lasting, and friendlier to sensitive skin — is finally coming to the U.S., and the dermatologists who've watched Europe pull ahead for two decades couldn't be more ready for it.
Read the original at Women's Health Magazine.
