08/06/2026
The filter is bemotrizinol, known internationally as Tinosorb S and in the US as PARSOL Shield. The FDA finalized its approval on June 9, with the order taking effect on August 9, making it the first new active sunscreen ingredient added to the sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s. It is approved at concentrations of up to 6% for adults and children aged six months and older. What makes it noteworthy is that it is photostable, meaning it doesn’t break down throughout the day the way some older chemical filters do, and it has minimal skin absorption. Europe requires sunscreens to provide UVA protection of at least one-third of the labeled SPF, a standard that many American sunscreens have historically not met.
It doesn’t replace zinc oxide. Mineral filters still provide the broadest UVA protection available in the US, remain on the skin’s surface rather than being absorbed, and are still my first choice for melasma, rosacea, and anyone treating pigmentation.