After 25 Years, a New Sunscreen Filter Is Finally Here
Experts say the approval of BEMT could usher in a new generation of better-feeling, better-performing sunscreens — that you’ll want to wear.
Shutterstock
If you've ever been tempted to order one of the European or Japanese sunscreens that beauty lovers rave about, there's good news: the U.S. is finally catching up. The FDA recently approved bemotrizinol (BEMT), a next-generation ultraviolet (UV) filter that's been used overseas for years, opening the door for American brands to create sunscreens that not only protect well but actually feel good to wear.
“This approval is a huge step for patients,” says Kavita Mariwalla, MD, board-certified dermatologist, president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), and a member of the Pretty Local Advisory Board. “The addition of this sunscreen filter allows U.S. manufacturers to formulate in a cosmetically elegant way, and the products will begin to achieve the look and feel of all the European and Japanese sunscreens that have gone viral.”
And that's important because even the best sunscreen can't do its job if you hate wearing it. “At the end of the day, the best sunscreen is the one you will use, and the approval of this filter makes the options that much better for our patients,” says Dr. Mariwalla.
The new filter also arrives at a time when chatter about sunscreen safety is everywhere. “There is so much information about sunscreen being ‘bad’ for you, and the truth is there have been no cancers caused by sunscreen use,” she says. “On the other hand, UV rays are known to be carcinogenic, and skin cancer continues to be on the rise, especially in young people.”
Mariwalla says BEMT provides expanded UV coverage and gives the U.S. a chance to catch up with sunscreen science that's already been embraced in other parts of the world. But she cautions against thinking of it as a miracle ingredient.
“People get confused, thinking this filter is standalone, not understanding that sunscreen is about the art of formulation and mixing the filters to drive efficacy and a great aesthetic experience,” she says. “This approval gives experts in formulation elevated ingredients to work with, which is a huge win for patients.”
So no, you don't need to toss your current sunscreen. But as brands begin incorporating BEMT into future formulas, American sunscreens may start looking—and feeling—a lot more like the elegant European and Japanese options people have been seeking out for years.
