America’s Sunscreen Just Got Its First New Ingredient in 20 Years

For the first time since 1999, the FDA has approved a brand-new organic UV filter for sunscreen — and dermatologists are calling it a major turning point . The ingredient is called bemotrizinol, or BEMT. And here’s why that matters. Most U.S. sunscreens rely on just a small group of approved filters. In fact, we’ve been working with only seven commonly used UV filters, while Europe has nearly 30 options . That has limited how advanced American sunscreen formulas could be. Bemotrizinol changes that. It provides true broad-spectrum protection. That means it covers UVB — the rays that cause sunburn — but also UVA2 and UVA1, the longer wavelengths linked to skin aging and skin cancer . It even helps fill what experts call the “320-nanometer gap,” a weak spot in current U.S. protection .