New Sunscreen Ingredient Could Soon Be Allowed in the U.S.

Key Takeaways

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing bemotrizinol, a sunscreen ingredient used widely overseas

• The ingredient protects against both UVA and UVB rays

• Public comments are open before a final decision is made

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Americans may soon have access to a new sunscreen ingredient already used around the world.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Dec. 11 that it is reviewing a proposal to allow bemotrizinol in sunscreens sold in the United States.

The ingredient is already approved and widely used in Europe, Australia and parts of Asia.

Bemotrizinol offers broad protection against both UVA and UVB rays, which are known to damage skin and raise cancer risk. The ingredient "has low levels of absorption through the skin into the body, and rarely causes skin irritation," an FDA news release said.

Right now, the FDA tightly regulates sunscreen ingredients through a process that determines whether they are “generally recognized as safe and effective,” known as the GRASE framework.

Any new active ingredient must go through a detailed safety and effectiveness review before it can be added to products sold in the U.S.

The request to add bemotrizinol was submitted by DSM Nutritional Products LLC, a European company based in Switzerland and the Netherlands.

The FDA has opened the proposal for public comment and will now evaluate the ingredient before deciding whether to approve it for use in U.S. sunscreens.

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“Bemotrizinol would be a welcome addition to the current array of effective sunscreen active ingredients already available to American consumers” Dr. Karen Murry, acting director of the FDA’s Office of Nonprescription Drugs, said.

Health experts say better sunscreen options are badly needed. Most skin cancers are caused by too much ultraviolet radiation, whether from the sun, tanning beds or sun lamps.

Protective clothing, hats, sunglasses and shade all help limit UV exposure, but sunscreen remains a key line of defense.

Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing UV rays and turning them into heat, while mineral sunscreens, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, sit on top of the skin and block rays from reaching it.

More information

Skin Software has more on bemotrizinol.

SOURCE: CNN, Dec. 11, 2025

What This Means For You

If approved, bemotrizinol would expand the limited list of sunscreen ingredients currently available in the U.S.