For the first time in about 20 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a new sunscreen ingredient for use in the United States: bemotrizinol, a longtime staple in sun-care products created in Asia, Australia, and Europe
The UV-blocking ingredient, also known as Tinosorb S and Parsol Shield, is an active in popular K-Beauty sun-care products such as Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ and Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF 50+.
It’s the first chemical sunscreen filter approved by the U.S. regulatory agency since the 1990s.
Its ban has led international brands to create “American versions” of their sun-care products, which have been panned for lacking the cosmetic benefits of bemotrizinol.
Lightweight, non-greasy, and leaving little to no white cast, the ingredient is prized for providing excellent broad-spectrum protection that covers long-wave UVA rays and short-wave UVB rays.
With the action, the FDA considers bemotrizinol to be generally recognized as safe and effective for use in sunscreens by adults and children 6 months of age and older.