Why US SPF Makeup Feels Chalky - and How Bemotrizinol Could Fix It
The reason your US SPF makeup feels heavier than the Korean version comes down to the filter list - and that list may finally be growing.
On December 11-12, 2025, the FDA issued a proposed administrative order to add bemotrizinol (up to 6%) as a GRASE sunscreen active - the first new active proposed for the US OTC sunscreen monograph since the 1990s - a cosmetically elegant broad-spectrum UV filter long used abroad in tinted and hybrid SPF products.
Regulatory attorneys note that the proposed order is the first new sunscreen ingredient the FDA has advanced in decades, and industry coverage has linked the limited US filter list to legislative pushes to modernize how the agency approves sunscreen actives.
Questions we get a lot
Why does US SPF makeup often feel heavier than Korean or European versions?
A major factor is the limited US sunscreen filter list, which has not added a new active since the 1990s, leaving formulators with fewer cosmetically elegant options. Bemotrizinol, proposed in December 2025, is one such elegant broad-spectrum filter long used abroad in tinted and hybrid SPF products. Adding it could enable lighter US formulas. The proposal is still in the regulatory process.
What did the FDA actually propose in December 2025?
On December 11-12, 2025, the FDA issued a proposed administrative order to add bemotrizinol at concentrations up to 6% as a GRASE sunscreen active. It would be the first new active proposed for the US OTC sunscreen monograph since the 1990s. Holland & Knight describes it as a notable modernization step.
Is there a broader effort to modernize US sunscreen approvals?
Yes. Industry reporting from CosmeticsDesign covered a 2025 US House bill aimed at modernizing how the FDA approves sunscreen ingredients, reflecting frustration with the stalled filter list. The bemotrizinol proposal arrives in that context of legislative and regulatory pressure. Together they signal momentum toward expanding US filter options.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'Why do Korean and European SPF foundations feel so much lighter than US ones - is it really just the filters?'