The FDA just approved the first new active sunscreen ingredient in 20 years

It’s easy to assume the sunscreen available to you in the U.S. is identical to the types everyone else is slathering on around the world.

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It’s not that simple, though. There are only a few sunscreen ingredients currently available in our country, but the United States Food & Drug Administration has now added another to that list.

The agency announced on Tuesday that bemotrizinol, which is currently available in Europe, will be added as a permitted active ingredient for use in sunscreens. Until now, the FDA only recognized two sunscreen active ingredients as Generally Recognized As Safe and Effective (GRASE) – the mineral sunscreens zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Many common chemical filters like oxybenzone and avobenzone are under safety review, which means that while they are still currently available to the purchasing public, the jury is still out as to whether or not there are long-term safety risks associated with their usage. Bemotrizinol, a chemical filter, will fall under GRASE category as absorption is low.

While products containing the ingredient are not yet available Stateside, this news will help bring American sunscreens up to the level of their European counterparts, which have a reputation for being more advanced and just plain better.

Dermatologists are all for this move. Here’s what they want you to know.

What is bemotrizinol?

Bemotrizinol is a chemical UV filter that has been available in Europe for decades, explains Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

“It has an advantage over other chemical UV filters currently available the U.S. because it provides broader protection against UV light, including long-wave UVA rays, which is the wavelength thought to penetrate most deeply into the skin and be most associated with the development of skin cancers,” he said. “Currently available sunscreen filters do a poor job at blocking these long-wave UVA rays.”

He also shares that the ingredient is unlikely to irritate even the most sensitive skin types.

Another big plus is that bemotrizinol is also photostable, which means it doesn’t quickly break down in the sun, adds Ife J. Rodney, MD, dermatologist and founding director of Eternal Dermatology Aesthetics.

“That means it may last longer on the skin,” she said. This is a big advancement as experts know that in order to get long-lasting protection, you must use the right amount – and reapply frequently.

What dermatologists are saying

One more big perk of bemotrizinol is that it “plays well with other sunscreen ingredients,” says Gary Goldenberg, MD, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York City, providing a higher SPF at lower doses, too. This is why our experts are encouraged by the fact that it has been fully approved for us by the FDA, with Zeichner calling the news “extremely exciting.”

Goldenberg agreed.

“This is excellent news and long overdue,” he said. “We have been stuck in the past, while the rest of the world enjoys superior formulas with lightweight, elegant, safer sunscreens with better protection.”

Another sunscreen ingredient will give people better tools to protect against the sun’s harmful rays, Zeichner said.

“Ultimately, this will mean fewer skin cancers, including melanomas, which are potentially fatal,” he adds.

Rodney said this move is also a big win for people with sensitive skin. “It can be very useful for people with some sensitive skin types who have trouble finding a sunscreen that won’t irritate their skin,” she said.

When will bemotrizinol be added to sunscreens for purchase?

That’s tough to say. While the announcement just came on Tuesday, sunscreen manufacturers have been anticipating the news for a while—and may already be experimenting with the ingredient in formulas.

“Americans deserve timely access to the best safe, effective, and consumer-friendly over-the-counter products available,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in an earlier statement.