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No streaks: Sunscreen ingredient used in Europe for 25 years now available in US

By
FOX Local
Health
Published October 14, 2026 3:32 PM EDT
Published October 14, 2026 3:32 PM EDT
article

A person rubs sun tan lotion on a woman amid a heat advisory on May 19, 2026 in New York City.  (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • A sunscreen ingredient that got the OK in Europe more than a quarter-century ago is now hitting store shelves in the U.S.
    • Bemotrizinol is designed to shield users from both ultraviolet A and B rays without leaving streaks.
    • It is the first new sunscreen ingredient approved by the FDA in more than 20 years.

Americans can now purchase a newly approved sunscreen ingredient that has been popular in Europe since the 20th century as Neutrogena and other manufacturers release their first products in the U.S. containing bemotrizinol. 

Big picture view:

Bemotrizinol, which is also known as BEMT, is designed to shield users from both ultraviolet A and B rays without leaving those white streaks caused by mineral-based sunscreens. The products are arriving on store shelves after the Food and Drug Administration approved the chemical earlier this year.

The backstory:

In June, the FDA signed off on the ingredient, saying it met the agency’s standards for protecting people from the sun’s harmful rays without too much being absorbed through the skin. It is approved for children who are 6 months and older and adults.

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Benefits of bemotrizinol

The FDA requires all sunscreens to protect against UVA, which poses higher risks of cancer and wrinkles, and UVB, which is to blame for most sunburns. Currently, there are no chemical products on the market that can protect against both, so producers will usually mix chemicals in order to meet federal requirements.

Mineral-based ingredients, like zinc oxide, can block both types of rays, but they are known to leave a chalky white residue. Bemotrizinol is designed to offer similar protection without the streaks.

Dig deeper:

Bemotrizinol was approved by European authorities in 1999 and first filed for review in the U.S. more than 20 years ago, in 2005. It is also available in many other countries around the world, the FDA noted in its announcement. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pointed out that this was also the first new sunscreen ingredient approved for the U.S. market in more than 20 years.

The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Food and Drug Administration and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.



 

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