The FDA’s new sunscreen ingredient approval is making waves in the world of dermatology—and for good reason. For the first time in nearly three decades, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new chemical UV filter for sunscreens sold in the United States, and skin experts are thrilled.

“This is a very big deal,” says Dr. Heather Rogers, a Seattle dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The ingredient, called bemotrizinol, brings a host of advantages over the chemical sunscreen filters previously available stateside. As Rogers puts it, “It hits like really every box for us that we have been waiting for as dermatologists and consumers.”

Here are four things worth knowing about this breakthrough ingredient.

1. It Blocks Both UVA and UVB Rays

Dermatologists generally recommend “broad spectrum” sunscreens—products that guard against both types of harmful ultraviolet radiation. The distinction matters:

• UVA rays are longer wavelengths that cause premature aging and wrinkles
• UVB rays are responsible for sunburns
• Both types can lead to skin cancer

Here’s the catch with current options. Rogers notes that sunscreens sold in the U.S. excel at blocking UVB rays but have historically fallen short on UVA protection. Most rely on an ingredient called avobenzone to handle UVA rays, says Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist who teaches at the University of Cincinnati.

The problem? Avobenzone isn’t photo stable on its own, meaning its protection breaks down quickly in sunlight. As it degrades, it can release molecules that irritate the skin, according to Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group.

Bemotrizinol changes the equation. It protects against both UVA and UVB rays by itself, and because it’s photo stable, it breaks down more slowly and holds its protection longer. “So if you go a little longer than two hours to reapply your sunscreen, there will be more protection left,” Rogers says—though she stresses you should still reapply every two hours.

2. It’s Already Been Used Abroad for Years

Bemotrizinol is hardly untested. It has been widely used in European and Asian sunscreens for decades. So why did Americans have to wait 20 years?

The answer lies in regulation. In the U.S., sunscreens are treated as over-the-counter drugs rather than cosmetics, as they are in Europe. That classification requires rigorous testing for safety and efficacy before approval.

“It’s really expensive and time consuming,” Dobos says. The European company DSM-Firmenich spent at least $18 million over more than two decades pushing for FDA approval of the ingredient.

3. It Has a Strong Safety Record

That lengthy approval process has an upside: bemotrizinol now boasts more safety data than any other chemical sunscreen ingredient currently approved in the U.S.

“This ingredient is exciting because we have that data to support its safety,” Friedman says. Animal testing showed no concerns like reproductive harm, while human clinical testing found it doesn’t irritate the skin, even with repeated use over time.

There’s another reassuring detail. Because bemotrizinol’s molecules are larger, it isn’t readily absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. That’s significant, since studies have shown some other chemical UV filters can be absorbed into the blood—a finding that prompted calls for more data and helped fuel a wave of sunscreen misinformation on social media.

Rogers finds that backlash worrying, given that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. “We just need to have sunscreen that people will use, that they’ll trust,” she says. “And this ingredient is going to allow that to happen.”

4. It Could Make Sunscreens Look Better on Your Skin

Until now, the only U.S. ingredient offering all of bemotrizinol’s benefits—photo stable, non-irritating, minimally absorbed, and broadly protective—was zinc oxide.

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are mineral UV filters. While both chemical and mineral sunscreens absorb UV rays, mineral versions also reflect some, and they sit on the skin’s surface rather than getting absorbed. Their major drawback is the unflattering white cast they leave behind—picture lifeguards with white paste on their noses.

“Particularly if you’re a person of color, zinc is going to make you look pale, white or ashy, which really makes it hard to use on a regular basis,” Rogers says.

Bemotrizinol, by contrast, is transparent on the skin. And because it delivers broad spectrum protection on its own, it doesn’t need to be blended with as many other filters and stabilizers, Dobos explains—which should translate to more elegant, less greasy formulations.

“I think it’s a real win for public health,” she says. “If we can make a sunscreen that consumers like to use and want to use and apply in the proper amounts, I think that’s something that’s really going to be a win for consumers.”

When You Can Buy It

For those eager to try it, the wait won’t be long. DSM-Firmenich holds exclusive U.S. marketing rights to bemotrizinol for 18 months, and it will be sold under the brand name Parsol Shield. According to the company, the first sunscreens containing the ingredient should reach American store shelves around September.

For consumers and dermatologists alike, that timeline marks the beginning of what could be a meaningful shift—toward sunscreens that protect better, feel better, and, crucially, that people will actually want to wear.