The First New Sunscreen Filter in Decades, and How It Compares to Zinc Oxide

Bemotrizinol is a broad spectrum chemical UV filter that was approved for US sunscreens in June 2026, the first new sunscreen active added in the US since the late 1990s. It protects against both UVA and UVB, holds up in sunlight, and shows low absorption through the skin. It has been used in Europe and much of the world for years. It is good news for sunscreen. Swellies is still zinc oxide only, and here is what bemotrizinol is, when you will see it, and why one new filter does not change a five-ingredient formula.

What bemotrizinol is

Bemotrizinol is an organic UV filter, the category usually called chemical sunscreen. Unlike most of the older chemical filters sold in the US, which each cover a slice of the spectrum, it covers both UVB, the rays that burn, and UVA, the rays that drive aging and pigment. It is also photostable, so it does not break down quickly in sunlight, and it is a large molecule that shows low absorption into the body.

On a US Drug Facts panel it will be listed as bemotrizinol under Active Ingredients. On sunscreens made for Europe or Asia you will usually see its ingredient name instead: bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine.

Is bemotrizinol safe?

The FDA found bemotrizinol safe and effective as a sunscreen active at up to 6 percent, for adults and children 6 months and older, based on clinical safety and efficacy studies. That lines up with its long track record outside the US.

When will you see it in US sunscreens?

Not everywhere, and not right away. The approval took effect on August 9, 2026. For the first 18 months after that, only the ingredient company that requested the approval, and the brands it licenses, can sell sunscreens made with it. Wider availability across the market is more likely from early 2028.

It can be used as the only active or combined with other approved filters, in lotions, creams, gels, sticks, sprays, and more. Chemical sunscreens usually combine several filters to reach a high SPF with balanced UVA coverage, so many bemotrizinol products are likely to list it alongside others. Checking the Active Ingredients line tells you exactly what you are getting. Here is what broad spectrum has to earn.

Bemotrizinol vs. zinc oxide

Both are strong filters. The difference is in how a formula gets built around them. Zinc oxide at a high concentration carries broad spectrum protection on its own, which is how a sunscreen can stop at one active. More on how the two categories compare in chemical vs. mineral sunscreen, and on how zinc does its job in how zinc oxide blocks UV.

Why Swellies is still zinc oxide only

Not because there is anything wrong with bemotrizinol. It is one of the better filters to come along in a long time, and more good options are better for everyone who wears sunscreen.

Our reason is simpler and it predates the approval. Zinc oxide at 21 percent already covers UVA and UVB on its own. When one active does the whole job, a second filter is not an upgrade. It is a sixth ingredient the formula does not need. Swellies is built on minimum necessary: non-nano zinc oxide, Coco Caprylate/Caprate, Dextrin Palmitate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, and Iron Oxides, each with a specific job. A new filter, however good, does not change that math. The case for short lists is in 5 ingredients vs. 30.

Frequently asked questions

What is bemotrizinol?

Bemotrizinol is a broad spectrum chemical UV filter that protects against both UVA and UVB. It was approved for US sunscreens in June 2026, the first new sunscreen active added in the US since the late 1990s, and has been used in Europe and other countries for years.

Is bemotrizinol safe?

The FDA found bemotrizinol safe and effective as a sunscreen active at up to 6 percent for adults and children 6 months and older. It shows low absorption through the skin and has a long history of use outside the US.

Is bemotrizinol a mineral or chemical sunscreen?

Chemical. Bemotrizinol is an organic UV filter. Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as their active ingredients.

When will bemotrizinol sunscreens be available in the US?

The approval took effect August 9, 2026. For the following 18 months, only the company that requested the approval and its licensees can sell products containing it, so broad availability is more likely from early 2028.

Is bemotrizinol better than zinc oxide?

They are different tools. Both cover UVA and UVB and both are stable in sunlight. Bemotrizinol is a chemical filter used at up to 6 percent, often alongside other filters. Zinc oxide is a mineral filter that can carry broad spectrum protection on its own at higher concentrations, which allows a formula with a single active.

What is bemotrizinol called on an ingredient label?

On US sunscreens it appears as bemotrizinol in the Active Ingredients section. On products made for other markets it is usually listed as bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine.

Will Swellies add bemotrizinol?

No. Zinc oxide already covers UVA and UVB with one ingredient, so adding a second filter would only lengthen a formula built to stay at five ingredients. It is a choice about restraint, not a judgment on bemotrizinol.

One active. Full spectrum. Five ingredients. Shop Swellies SPF 46 →

Sources: FDA announcement, June 2026 and Final Order OTC000039.