I Tried the New Sunscreen Ingredient the FDA Is Finally Approving After Over 20 Years – Lifehacker

Some
unexpected
good
news
from
the
FDA:
bemotrizinol,
a
sunscreen
ingredient
that
has
been
used
in
Europe
and
Asia
for
decades,
is


finally
being
added
to
the
allowable
ingredients
list
for
products
sold
in
the
U.S.
Bemotrizinol
is
the
active
ingredient
in
sunscreens
like
Bioré
Watery
Essence,
which
has
a
cult
following
for
being
unlike
anything
we
can
get
in
the
U.S.

I’ve
tried
Bioré
UV
Aqua
Rich
Watery
Essence
(that’s
the
full
name
of
the
product)
in
its
original
Japanese
formulation.
This
sunscreen
is
a
cult
favorite
on
skincare
and
Asian
beauty
forums
because
of
its
non-greasy
feel,
and
because
it
protects
against
both
UVA
and
UVB
rays
without
leaving
a
white
cast.
I
got
mine
from
a
friend
who
had
either
picked
it
up
while
traveling
or
possibly
ordered
from
overseas;
you
can’t
buy
it
in
U.S.-based
stores. 

I’ll
explain
why
this
is
below,
but
first:
it
truly
is
nothing
like
anything
we
have
locally.
Even
our
most
“non-greasy”
sunscreens
tend
to
feel
a
little
goopy
or
sticky.
This
one
really
feels
like
nothing
after
you
rub
it
in.
I
instantly
understood
why
it’s
so
sought-after.
Remembering
that
experience,
I’m
looking
forward
to
what
we
might
see
in
American
sunscreens
once
manufacturers
are
allowed
to
include
this
ingredient. 

What’s
so
special
about
bemotrizinol?

Bemotrizinol
has
a
lot
of
things
going
for
it.
One
is
that
it
“plays
well
with
other
sunscreen
ingredients,”
as
one
dermatologist


told
Women’s
Health.
You
can
make
lighter,
nicer-feeling
sunscreens
with
it,
hence
the
popularity
of
the
Bioré
formulation
I
tried. To
see
what
I
mean,
check
out

this
video
where
a
dermatologist
shows
off
the
differences
between
Bioré’s
Japanese
formulation
and
the
version
it
sells
in
the
U.S.
The
ingredients
are
different,
and
the
texture
just
isn’t
the
same.

It’s
also
more
effective
at
broad-spectrum
protection.
With
our
current
sunscreen
formulations,
all
active
ingredients
protect
against
UVB
rays
(the
rays
that
cause
sunburn)
but
only
a
few
can
also
provide
protection
against
UVA
rays
(which
contribute
to
wrinkling
and
aging
of
skin).
UVB
is
considered
to
be
the
bigger
risk
for
skin
cancer,
but
both
probably
contribute
to
cancer
risk.
Right
now,
most
broad-spectrum
U.S.
sunscreens
use
mineral
components
like
zinc
oxide.
Mineral
sunscreens
work
pretty
well,
but
can
leave
a
white
cast
on
your
skin
when
applied
as
thickly
as
you’re
supposed
to. 

Bemotrizinol
is
a
chemical
UV
filter,
so
it
doesn’t
leave
that
white
cast.
But
it
protects
well
against
UVA
rays
in
addition
to
UVB,
and
it’s
more
photostable
than
a
lot
of
our
existing
chemical
sunscreen
ingredients
so
it
can
last
longer
on
the
skin.
In
other
words,
it’s
a
chemical
sunscreen,
but
combines
some
of
the
best
features
of
both
chemical
and
mineral
sunscreens. 

It’s
also
considered
to
be
one
of
the
safest
sunscreens.
All
sunscreens
on
the
market
are


much
safer
than
going
without
sunscreen,
but
all
of
our
chemical
sunscreen
ingredients
are
currently


undergoing
a
safety
evaluation
because
regulators
determined
they
are

probably
fine
but
need
more
research
to
know
for
sure.
Currently
only
our
two
mineral
sunscreen
ingredients
(zinc
oxide
and
titanium
dioxide)
are
considered
GRAS,
or
generally
recognized
as
safe
and
effective.
Bemotrizinol
will
be
the
third.

If
you’re
looking
at
ingredient
lists
on
Asian
or
European
sunscreens,
be
aware
that
it
goes
by
several
names.
Tinosorb
S
is
bemotrizinol;
so
is
bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol
methoxyphenyl
triazine.

Why
it’s
taken
so
long

Ask
anyone
in
the
skincare
world
what
they
think
about
U.S.
sunscreens,
and
for
decades
now
you’d
get
complaints
that
we’re
missing
out
on
the
best
sunscreens
that
the
rest
of
the
world
uses.
(Our
last
new
sunscreen
ingredient
was
approved
in
1996.)
In
most
countries,
sunscreens
are
regulated
as
cosmetics,
but
in
the
U.S.
they
are
regulated
as
drugs.
That
means
the
U.S.
requires
more
rigorous
testing
and
approval. 

The
CARES
act,
passed
in
2020
for
pandemic
relief,
provided
a
way
for
over-the-counter
drugs
to
be
sold
without
going
through
the
complete
approval
process,
so
long
as
the
FDA
was
satisfied
they
were
safe
and
effective.
Bemotrizinol
met
the
criteria,
thanks
in
large
part
to
the
fact
that
it’s
been
used
safely
since
2000
in
Europe,
Asia,
and
Australia.
The
FDA’s
rule
on
bemotrizinol
still
needs
to
be
finalized,
but
it
seems
likely
we’ll
see
new
sunscreens
on
shelves
before
the
end
of
2026.