Closing the UVA Gap: What Bemotrizinol Means for US Sun Protection
American sunscreen has trailed the world on modern UVA filters for decades - bemotrizinol is the biggest step yet toward closing that gap.
On December 12, 2025, the FDA published a proposed order recognizing bemotrizinol (Tinosorb S / BEMT) as GRASE at concentrations up to 6% for ages 6 months and older - the first new US sunscreen active since 1999 - with products potentially reaching shelves by late 2026.
Legal and regulatory analysts describe the proposed order as a long-awaited step to modernize US sunscreen options, while the Environmental Working Group frames bemotrizinol as a broad-spectrum filter already trusted in Europe and Australia.
Questions we get a lot
Why does the US lag on UVA protection?
Because the US regulates sunscreens as OTC drugs, its active-ingredient list has not gained a new filter since 1999, leaving formulators without some of the broad-spectrum UVA filters used in Europe and Australia. Bemotrizinol, recognized as GRASE in the FDA's December 2025 proposed order, is one such filter. Adding it would help narrow that long-standing UVA gap.
When could bemotrizinol sunscreens appear on US shelves?
Analysts suggest products could potentially reach US shelves by late 2026, though that depends on the proposed order being finalized and on manufacturers reformulating. The December 2025 action is a proposed order, not a final rule, so timing can shift. The Environmental Working Group has tracked the long path this filter has taken.
Is bemotrizinol the same thing as Tinosorb S?
Yes. Bemotrizinol, sometimes abbreviated BEMT, is the active recognized under the trade name Tinosorb S and is a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB filter long available in Europe and Australia. The FDA's December 12, 2025 proposed order recognizes it as GRASE for US use. That would make it the first new US sunscreen active since 1999.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'When will I actually be able to buy a US sunscreen with bemotrizinol - is late 2026 realistic?'