The First New US Sunscreen Filter Since the 1990s Becomes Legal to Use on August 9, but Shelves Will Take Longer

The FDA order permitting bemotrizinol in American sunscreens takes effect on Sunday, August 9. The date marks the moment the ingredient may legally be marketed in the United States, the first new active added to the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s. The sunscreen that works is the one already on the shelf, applied correctly and reapplied. The Order Permits Marketing, Not Immediate SaleThe FDA issued Final Administrative Order OTC000039 in June, adding bemotrizinol to the list of permitted active ingredients under sunscreen monograph M020. International products containing the filter exist, but they are not regulated as US over-the-counter drugs and their SPF claims have not been FDA reviewed.`