The FDA Approved a New Sunscreen Filter Called Bemotrizinol

Save this story Save Story Save this story If you're familiar with the sunscreen world—and you should be, considering we should all be wearing SPF every single day—you know that America is way behind in sunscreen innovation . This is in part because in the US, sunscreen is regulated as a drug rather than a cosmetic, which means it has to undergo robust testing via the Food & Drug Administration before hitting shelves. However, the FDA has finally approved a new active sunscreen ingredient (also called a filter), which is the first major sunscreen-related approval since 1999—yes, 1999! The American Academy of Dermatologists is also very much on board with BEMT. “The academy has been advocating for many years for the availability of more sunscreen options for US consumers,” Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, the immediate past president of the AAD, said in a statement last December, noting that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. “The United States lags behind many other countries that have nearly twice as many approved sunscreen ingredients.” Follow Allure on Instagram and TikTok , or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.