The UVA Gap: Why 2025's New Filter Is About Aging, Not Just Burns
SPF only measures sunburn protection — the real story behind 2025's filter news is UVA, the rays that age your skin and slip through many U.S. sunscreens.
EWG's 2025 guide and 2021 testing found many high-SPF US products deliver only about a quarter of their stated protection against UVA rays — the deeper-penetrating wavelengths tied to photoaging and skin cancer — a gap that broad-spectrum filters like bemotrizinol are specifically designed to close.
Dermatologists explain that because SPF reflects only UVB, a high number can give false reassurance about UVA, and that adding modern broad-spectrum filters like bemotrizinol would strengthen protection against the rays most associated with skin aging.
Questions we get a lot
What's the difference between UVA and UVB protection?
UVB causes most sunburn and is what SPF measures; UVA penetrates deeper and is strongly linked to photoaging and skin cancer. A high SPF tells you about UVB but not necessarily UVA. That's why 'broad spectrum' labeling, which indicates UVA coverage too, matters.
What is bemotrizinol and why does it matter?
Bemotrizinol is a broad-spectrum UV filter widely used outside the U.S. that is designed to provide strong UVA protection. In 2025 the FDA proposed adding it to its list of approved sunscreen active ingredients. If finalized, it could help close the UVA gap in American sunscreens.
Do US sunscreens really under-deliver on UVA?
Testing cited in EWG's reporting found many high-SPF US products provided only about a quarter of their stated UVA protection. That gap is part of why experts want newer broad-spectrum filters approved. For now, choosing products explicitly labeled broad-spectrum is the best available step.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'I use SPF 50 every day but just read it barely covers UVA — is my anti-aging routine basically pointless without better UVA filters?'