FDA

The FDA Finally Approved a New Sunscreen Ingredient. It Only Took Over 25 Years. 

The FDA's burdensome regulatory process has throttled sunscreen innovation. 

Meagan O'Rourke | 6.10.2026 2:46 PM

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The U.S. has led the world in several innovations in recent decades: the iPhone, Facebook, and artificial intelligence. But when it comes to sunscreen, Americans have been living in the Dark Ages compared with Europe and Asia. 

That could be changing. This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added bemotrizinol (BEMT) to its list of permitted active sunscreen ingredients, updating the list for the first time since 1999, according to National Geographic. BEMT, per the FDA, "provides protection against both ultraviolet A and B rays and has low levels of absorption through the skin into the body," and it is safe and effective "for use in sunscreens by adults and children 6 months of age and older." Beginning August 9, BEMT will be sold in........

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