BEMT Is Newly Approved. How Does It Compare With Other Sunscreen Ingredients?

Dermatologists have been waiting for bemotrizinol for years. Here’s what makes it different from existing UV filters and what you should know about it.

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Choosing a sunscreen is already complicated: SPF 30 or 50, reef-safe or water-resistant, mineral or chemical—not to mention conflicting advice about which ingredients are actually safe. Now there’s a new name to add to the mix: bemotrizinol (BEMT).

Dermatologists have been anticipating its arrival for years.

Until now, buying sunscreens in the United States has involved trade-offs. Mineral sunscreens offer full protection but can leave behind an unappealing white cast. Chemical sunscreens often feel lighter and blend more easily into the skin, but may lose protection more quickly.

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) recent approval of BEMT may help resolve this gap in effectiveness between mineral and chemical sunscreens.

“The FDA hasn’t cleared a new ingredient for sunscreen in over 20 years, so we’ve been working with the same set of ingredients all that time,” Dr. Nazanin Saedi, a leading board-certified dermatologist in Pennsylvania and clinical associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University, told The Epoch Times.

Here’s what you need to know about BEMT.

Better UV Protection

Bemotrizinol is a broad-spectrum chemical ultraviolet (UV) filter that absorbs both UVA and UVB radiation before it can damage the skin. UVB rays are primarily responsible for sunburn, while UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and contribute to premature aging, wrinkles, and dark spots. Both types of UV radiation can increase skin cancer risk.

Mineral sunscreens, which are formulated with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, can effectively block both types of UV rays, but U.S. chemical sunscreens are not as good at blocking UVA rays.

“We’ve got great UVB filters,” Saedi said.

Chemical sunscreens in the United States rely heavily on avobenzone, one of the country’s main UVA filters, which degrades quickly when exposed to sunlight, making it less of a long-lasting option than dermatologists would like.

However, bemotrizinol provides strong coverage across both UVA and UVB wavelengths in a single ingredient.

“BEMT is better at UVA protection than what’s currently available, so that’s also why people are excited,” Saedi said.

Stays Effective in the Sun

One of bemotrizinol’s defining features is its stability.

In lab tests, bemotrizinol has been shown to retain more than 98 percent of its protective ability after intense UV exposure.

It also helps stabilize other, less stable sunscreen ingredients. When sunscreen makers pair bemotrizinol with filters such as avobenzone, the overall formula holds up longer in the sun.

That matters in real-world use because many people apply too little sunscreen or don’t reapply as often as recommended, Saedi noted.

A more photostable filter can help preserve protection for longer stretches—but it does not replace reapplication.

“It’s still every two hours, and even a little bit more frequently if you’re going to be in the water,” Saedi said.

No White Cast

The visible white layer that mineral sunscreens notoriously leave on the skin is known as a “white cast,” and, along with chemical concerns, it is one of the most common reasons people forgo sunscreen altogether, especially on darker skin tones.

Bemotrizinol is a chemical filter that blends into the skin without leaving a visible layer behind, unlike zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are the only FDA-approved mineral sunscreen ingredients. It also gives sunscreen chemists more flexibility when creating formulas without sacrificing protection, texture, or appearance.

“This is why people are obsessed with French pharmacies,” Saedi said. “If you follow dermatologists or skin influencers online, they’re always coming back from Europe with sunscreens because a lot of those formulas just feel nicer on the skin.”

Is It Safe?

Bemotrizinol has been used in sunscreens sold in Europe, Asia, Australia, and other markets for more than two decades. The FDA reviewed the evidence supporting bemotrizinol’s safety and effectiveness and classified it as generally recognized as safe and effective, or GRASE.

Mineral sunscreens are often considered safer than chemical sunscreens because they sit on the skin’s surface and are not easily absorbed. Although bemotrizinol is a chemical sunscreen, its relatively large molecular size limits skin absorption. Available data show that only low levels enter the bloodstream. Available data shows low levels of absorption through the skin into the body.

In human studies, bemotrizinol was detected in only about 4 percent of hundreds of blood samples collected after sunscreen use. When it was detected, average peak blood levels remained below 0.5 nanograms per milliliter—less than one-billionth of a gram in a milliliter of blood—the lowest concentration the test could reliably measure. By comparison, testing found that average blood concentrations of avobenzone reached about 4 nanograms per milliliter after routine sunscreen use.

There is currently no evidence that the ingredient builds up in the body after repeated use. The ingredient is also reef-safe, meaning that it does not contribute to the degradation of coral reefs, a significant issue with some other chemical sunscreens.

Animal studies have not identified concerns related to reproductive or developmental harm, and current data have not demonstrated endocrine-disrupting effects. Clinical testing in humans has also shown a very low risk of skin irritation, even with repeated use.

“There’s very little actually absorbed in our skin, and what’s absorbed, we don’t really have any clinical evidence that it does anything,” Saedi said.

Why Did American Approval Lag?

The delay had less to do with concerns about bemotrizinol itself and more to do with how the United States regulates sunscreen.

In the United States, sunscreen active ingredients are regulated as over-the-counter drugs rather than cosmetics, a distinction that requires manufacturers to submit extensive data on safety, effectiveness, absorption, and toxicology before a new ingredient can be approved.

Many other countries regulate sunscreens under cosmetic frameworks that allow new UV filters to reach the market more quickly.

Sunscreens with bemotrizinol are expected to reach U.S. store shelves by September 2026, as manufacturers update and develop formulations. The ingredient is also approved for children 6 months and older.

The active ingredient list will say bemotrizinol, or it may be referenced elsewhere on the packaging as PARSOL® Shield, the brand name used by the ingredient’s manufacturer.

“The best sunscreen is one that feels nice, and you’re going to wear,” Saedi said. The most important thing is still to use a broad‑spectrum sunscreen, apply it generously, and reapply regularly.