Well, thanks to an exceptionally overdue decision made today, June 9, 2026, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally approved a new sunscreen filter. The chemical, bemotrizinol, also known as BEMT, has been available for use in both Europe and Asia since 2000, and it now joins the other approved UV filters in the US such as avobenzone, octisalate, titanium dioxide, and zinc, among eight other options.
For context, it's been over 27 years since the US has approved a new sunscreen filter for UV protection, and up until now, only two filters, avobenzone and zinc, have provided any type of UVA protection—those are the rays that penetrate deep into the dermal layer of the skin and cause wrinkles and other signs of premature aging. “UVB rays are what cause sunburns and play a big role in the development of skin cancer,” board-certified dermatologist Dara Spearman, MD, previously told Marie Claire. “UVA rays go deeper into the skin and are mostly responsible for premature aging. Think wrinkles and sunspots.”
