New sunscreen option wins FDA approval after years of delay

HealthWatch New sunscreen ingredient wins FDA approval after years of delay .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-healthwatch.jpg'); } June 9, 2026 / 5:12 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first new sunscreen ingredient for the U.S. market in more than 25 years. The decision announced Tuesday will give Americans access to a skin-protecting chemical long used in Europe and other parts of the world.The ingredient, bemotrizinol, met the FDA's standards for protecting from dangerous ultraviolet rays while causing little irritation or absorption into the skin. The ingredient is safe for adults and children 6 months and older, the agency stated in a release.Bemotrizinol will initially be sold in the U.S. by the Dutch manufacturer DSM Nutritional Products under the brand name Parsol Shield, which is expected to launch later in the year. After an 18-month exclusivity period, the ingredient will be available for use by other manufacturers.Efforts to introduce new sunscreen products have been bogged down for decades by the FDA's bureaucratic system for updating its lists of safe nonprescription drug ingredients. Bemotrizinol is the first ingredient to go through a streamlined process authorized by Congress in 2020.Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, whose department includes the FDA, praised the decision for "advancing innovation" and bringing a new option to U.S. consumers."Bemotrizinol has been used safely in Europe for decades, and FDA's action will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products," Kennedy said in a statement.Experts say bemotrizinol will fill an important niche in the U.S. market: protecting against both ultraviolet A and B rays while not leaving white streaks associated with mineral-based sunscreens."For decades, Americans have used outdated sunscreen tech while the rest of the world moved forward," said David Andre...