Bemotrizinol: The First New US Sunscreen Filter in 20+ Years
A broad-spectrum filter Europe and Asia have used for decades is finally cleared for the US — here's what bemotrizinol does and why it took so long.
The FDA approved bemotrizinol (Tinosorb S), a broad-spectrum filter used in Europe and Asia for decades and the first new US sunscreen active ingredient in more than 20 years.
Public-health researchers argue that modernizing US sunscreen regulation to allow newer broad-spectrum filters like bemotrizinol can improve protection options for American consumers who have long lagged behind Europe and Asia.
Questions we get a lot
What is bemotrizinol?
Bemotrizinol, also known by the trade name Tinosorb S, is a broad-spectrum UV filter that protects against both UVA and UVB. It has been used in sunscreens across Europe and Asia for decades. Its FDA approval makes it the first new US sunscreen active ingredient in more than 20 years.
Why did it take so long for new sunscreen filters in the US?
The US regulates sunscreen actives as over-the-counter drugs, a stricter pathway than the cosmetic framework used in Europe and Asia. That is why filters common abroad were unavailable in the US for decades. Researchers have argued that modernizing this process can improve public health by expanding protection options.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'Will bemotrizinol finally bring US sunscreens up to European standards, or is it just one filter?'