Bemotrizinol (BEMT): The Next-Generation UV Filter the U.S. Is Finally Moving Toward

If you’ve ever tested European or Asian sunscreens and thought, Why does this feel better? Why is the UVA protection stronger without being greasy? — bemotrizinol is a big part of the answer.

Bemotrizinol (BEMT) — INCI: Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine — is a highly effective, photostable, broad-spectrum organic UV filter that has been used globally for years. Until now, it has remained unavailable in the United States due to regulatory barriers.

That’s finally changing.

As of December 2025, the FDA has issued a proposed administrative order that would allow bemotrizinol to be used in U.S. OTC sunscreen products — a major milestone for sunscreen innovation in the U.S.

What Is Bemotrizinol (BEMT)?

Bemotrizinol is a modern chemical UV filter engineered specifically to deliver robust UVA and UVB protection while remaining extremely stable when exposed to sunlight.

Why formulators love it:

• Broad-spectrum coverage (UVA + UVB)

• Exceptional photostability (it does not significantly degrade in sunlight)

• Helps support long-wear SPF performance

• Allows more elegant textures compared to legacy filter systems

Because it is so stable, bemotrizinol often reduces the need for heavy stabilizer systems in global formulations, enabling lighter, more wearable sunscreens.

In the European Union, bemotrizinol has been approved for years and is permitted at concentrations of up to 10% in cosmetic sunscreen products.

🔗 EU COSING ingredient listing:
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/details/18528

Why Bemotrizinol Has Been Missing From U.S. Sunscreens

The U.S. regulates sunscreens as OTC drugs, not cosmetics. That means new UV filters must pass a much higher regulatory threshold than in most other regions.

As a result, the U.S. sunscreen filter list has barely changed in decades — even while the rest of the world moved forward with safer, more photostable options.

Bemotrizinol has been under FDA review for years, but meaningful progress only became possible after the FDA modernized the OTC monograph system under the CARES Act.

Where We Are Now: FDA Proposed Order (December 2025)

This is the most important update to date.

Step 1: OMOR Submission

DSM Nutritional Products submitted a Tier 1 OTC Monograph Order Request (OMOR) to add bemotrizinol to the FDA’s sunscreen monograph (M020).

🔗 Federal Register background:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/27/2025-27813

Step 2: FDA Issues Proposed Order

In December 2025, the FDA issued a proposed administrative order (OTC000039) that would allow bemotrizinol at concentrations of up to 6% in OTC sunscreen products.

🔗 FDA announcement:
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/over-counter-otc-drug-monograph-process/sunscreen-active-ingredients

Step 3: Public Comment Period

The proposed order is now open for public comment.

🗓️ Comment deadline:
January 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

🔗 Submit comments here:
https://www.regulations.gov

Step 4: Final Order (Still Pending)

After reviewing comments and data, the FDA will decide whether to issue a final order declaring bemotrizinol GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective) for U.S. sunscreens.

Until that final order is issued, bemotrizinol cannot yet be legally used in U.S. OTC sunscreen products.

What This Means for U.S. Brands

This proposed order represents the clearest regulatory progress the U.S. sunscreen category has seen in decades.

What brands should be doing now:

✔️ Planning, Not Waiting

• Develop global SPF formulas where bemotrizinol is already permitted

• Design U.S.-compliant base formulas with a clear future BEMT upgrade path

✔️ R&D Readiness

• Secure raw material specifications and suppliers

• Begin photostability, compatibility, and packaging studies

• Align global and U.S. claim strategies early

✔️ Commercial Reality Check

Even with smooth progress, late 2026 is a realistic earliest commercialization window for U.S. launches using bemotrizinol — and that assumes no major regulatory delays.

How Cosmeta Approaches BEMT Strategy

At Cosmeta, we treat bemotrizinol as a regulatory-gated innovation ingredient.

We help brands:

• Build future-proof SPF architectures

• Create region-specific filter systems without brand fragmentation

• Prepare documentation, testing, and scale-up pathways before approval lands

The brands that win the next generation of sunscreen won’t be reacting — they’ll be ready.

If you’re planning SPF for 2026 and beyond, now is the moment to get strategic.