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As an American, you always remember your first international sunscreen. I had panic-booked my inaugural cosmetic dermatologist appointment after my skin started to mottle with hyperpigmentation—it turns out, “base tans” and years of lifeguarding had taken their toll. The doctor told me that until I got really good at sunscreen, all interventions were off the table. The problem? I hated them.
When I told a friend my dilemma, she sent me to New York’s Chinatown to “find the blue bottle of Japanese sunscreen,” or Bioré UV. As soon as I got home, I applied what I thought was the appropriate amount, a tiny dot. It felt different. Confused by a sensation I can only describe as “silk water,” I applied more. It was spiritual. By the end of my sunscreen baptism, I had slathered on far more than the recommended quarter teaspoon—a full handful—leaving my skin with an incandescent finish. And in that devotion, I haven’t missed a daily application since.
This created a new issue: It’s illegal to sell the overseas versions of sunscreens like Bioré UV in the United States. America is an anomaly when it comes to sunscreen. While the U.S. isn’t alone globally in regulating sunscreen as a nonprescription drug, the FDA requires expensive and lengthy animal-based testing and stringent safety reviews. The result? The last time the FDA approved a new sunscreen filter was in 1999. For a country that lacks universal health care, staying up to date on one of the best prevention tools for skin cancer (and aging) should be a no-brainer. Until recently, there was little hope things would ever change.
But after 26 years of stagnation, the FDA is close to approving the first new sunscreen filter in a generation: Parsol Shield, the brand name for bemotrizinol (BEMT), or bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine, as seen on the ingredients list for Bioré UV. So what caused this sunscreen awakening? The hero of this story is Carl D’Ruiz, head of beauty and care science, advocacy, and business development at DSM-Firmenich, a beauty manufacturing company. He has watched repeated attempts to introduce modern sunscreen filters fall short. Considering that BEMT has existed globally for decades, what company would spend millions to re-vet an ingredient, all for a mere 18 months of U.S. market exclusivity? After decades of putting formulators and brands, as cosmetic chemist, licensed esthetician, and instructor Esther Olu puts it, “at a significant disadvantage,” the United States is finally stepping into this century when it comes to sunscreen approval.
Formerly a director at Ciba Specialty Chemicals, the company that developed BEMT, D’Ruiz has watched repeated attempts to introduce modern filters stall out due to costly testing, lack of clarity from the FDA, and controversially, pricey animal studies for toxicological testing. From L’Oréal’s efforts to bring Mexoryl SX, a proprietary filter stateside, to Ciba’s initial 2005 submission of BEMT (which was never approved), to the Sunscreen Innovation Act of 2014, which was passed during the Obama administration and was meant to expedite new sunscreen approvals, each attempt didn’t bring us any closer to getting better sunscreen. Another constant hurdle has been the cost. While the CARES Act of 2020 made the approval process more efficient, the FDA still requires a costly suite of absorption and toxicology studies, including human and animal-based testing, along with safety reviews.
But since 2018, DSM-Firmenich has been working with the FDA on testing to get this filter approved—such as the Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective (GRASE) testing that zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have. Not only did DSM-Firmenich pay the hefty bills that come with all the required testing, but it had the perseverance to stick with that process. The company spent $8 million to generate the data required to pass the FDA’s safety and efficacy guidelines. In total, D’Ruiz estimates that the cost may reach more than $20 million.
America’s newest filter is a standout ingredient because, as D’Ruiz explains, “modern filters like BEMT are photostable and broad-spectrum, and perform effectively at lower concentrations.” In other words: You can use less of BEMT compared to filters currently on the U.S. market, with minimal irritation and without sacrificing protection. It’s also nicer to wear. Ramon Pagan, a cosmetic chemist who has formulated international sunscreens, explains that “the filters allow for more liberty in improving the sensory profile.” Manufacturers hope the BEMT breakthrough could also set a precedent for future filters—though more than 10 additional ingredients would need to go through FDA vetting to get us to the variety of sunscreen filters found in the rest of the world.
Still, there is reason for cautious optimism. This past summer, Congress passed the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act, requiring the FDA to establish a clearer, more transparent review process. The bill mandates that the FDA consider “real-world evidence,” including safety data from international markets, and also that it evaluate modern methods like non-animal tests. These changes could finally move European and Asian favorites from the gray market onto Sephora shelves. For the FDA to catch up with the rest of the world, there may be one final reform needed before we enter a full-blown sunscreen renaissance: speeding up and streamlining the drug approval process. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), like the United States, regulates sunscreen as a drug. Unlike the U.S., they have the most up-to-date sunscreen filters and, arguably, some of the best sunscreen in the world. Adopting similar standards—including more efficient ingredient reviews and the use of modern, non-animal, toxicological methods—would help the U.S. close the gap. Combined with clear rules of engagement for manufacturers, these changes could finally move K-beauty favorites from the gray market onto Sephora shelves.
Until then, expect to see sunscreens formulated with Parsol Shield as early as summer 2026, with the FDA’s final order expected by June of this year. After decades of waiting, the future of American sunscreen is finally looking a little brighter—and a lot less chalky.
A version of this story appears in the March 2026 issue of ELLE.
