The Sunscreen Aisle Finally Got Something New.

Preventive medicine doesn’t always require a prescription. Sometimes it starts with sunscreen. Apparently, sunscreen innovation can happen—it just takes about 20 years.

This June 2026 FDA News Release announced the approval of bemotrizinol, the first new active ingredient added to the U.S. over-the-counter sunscreen options since the late 1990s. Bemotrizinol provides broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays, has low absorption through the skin, and is considered safe and effective for adults and children 6 months of age and older.

The approval may lead to more sunscreen options for consumers and represents a long-awaited step toward modernizing the sunscreen ingredients available in the United States.

Learn More: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-expands-sunscreen-options-first-time-20-years