The 2025 SAFE Sunscreen Act Targets the Korean and Japanese Filters You Can't Buy in the US
A law signed in November 2025 finally pushes the FDA to look at the advanced UV filters that Korea and Japan have used safely for years.
Signed into law on November 13, 2025 within the OMUFA reauthorization, the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act directs the FDA to harmonize with international testing standards and review UV filters already used safely worldwide, addressing the fact that the US has not approved a new sunscreen active since 1999.
The Skin Cancer Foundation, which applauded the bill's passage, frames modernizing the US filter list as a public-health step that could expand access to broad-spectrum protection long available in other markets.
Questions we get a lot
What does the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act actually require?
It directs the FDA to harmonize with international testing standards and to review UV filters that are already used safely in other countries. It was signed into law on November 13, 2025 as part of the OMUFA reauthorization. The goal is to create a clearer path for modern sunscreen ingredients.
Why hasn't the US approved new sunscreen filters in so long?
The US regulates sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug, which raised the evidence bar and slowed new approvals. No new active ingredient has been cleared since 1999. The 2025 law is designed to address that backlog by allowing review of filters with established safety records abroad.
Will I be able to buy Tinosorb or Uvinul sunscreens in the US soon?
Not immediately. The law starts a review and harmonization process rather than approving specific filters overnight. It could take years before new actives clear the FDA and reach US shelves, so for now the advanced filters remain easiest to find in imported Japanese and Korean products.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'Does this 2025 law mean I'll finally be able to buy Tinosorb sunscreens made in the US?'