On June 9, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients. It is the first new active ingredient added to the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s. The FDA finalized this action within seven months of issuing the proposed order. The new ingredient has been marketed as a sunscreen ingredient in Europe and many countries around the world for years.
Bemotrizinol provides protection against both ultraviolet A and B rays and has low levels of absorption through the skin into the body. The FDA considers bemotrizinol to be generally recognized as safe and effective for use in sunscreens by adults and children 6 months of age and older.