The Briefing
- On June 9, 2026, the FDA approved bemotrizinol (BEMT) — the first UV filter added to the U.S. over-the-counter sunscreen monograph since 1999 — with product sales permitted starting August 9.
- Already trusted in Europe since 2000, BEMT offers broad-spectrum coverage in a single ingredient, degrades far more slowly under sunlight than most legacy U.S. filters, and leaves no white cast on any skin tone.
- Ultra Violette launched the first U.S. BEMT product on August 31, 2026; Neutrogena followed on September 17 as the first American drugstore brand, with a broader wave of reformulations expected through 2027.
