Sunscreen Is About to Suck a Lot Less—And I Couldn’t Be More Hyped

6 min readHi, I'm Bob Gearing or, as my buddies like to call me, "Beauty Bob." By day, I'm a well-SPF’d tech sales bro; by night, I'm a red-light mask guy who definitely didn’t think he’d care this much about skincare. Every month, I'll be coming at ya with a real-guy perspective on beauty and grooming because, uh, nobody really taught us about this stuff. Questions? Hit me up @beautybob.LOOK, I KNOW most dudes don’t wear sunscreen. It can be greasy and hard to rub in and it can feel like another annoying thing you’re supposed to remember to do every morning. But the good news is that’s about to change. Last month, the FDA approved the first new sunscreen ingredient in 27 years. Yep, 27 years. That means you’ll officially have zero excuse not to wear it as regularly as you brush your teeth in the morning. (You are brushing your teeth, right?)The new ingredient is called bemotrizinol, also known as BEMT or its brand name PARSOL® Shield. Think of it like the OS upgrade you haven’t done in decades. Ahead, I break down everything you need to know about the ingredient.Why It Took So Damn Long Sunscreen is technically classified as a drug by the FDA. According to Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, that means any new UV filter has to go through a full drug approval process before it can hit U.S. shelves, which can take several years. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020 opened the door for faster approvals. BEMT is the first new sunscreen filter making it through the streamlined system.Carl D'Ruiz, MPH, who works in beauty advocacy and business development at DSM-Firmenich (the company behind BEMT), says the company has been trying to get BEMT approved in the U.S. since 2002. That's over two decades of trying to push an ingredient through the system, which is honestly longer than I've been wearing sunscreen daily.What Makes BEMT Different (and Why You Should Care)The FDA currently recognizes a handful of approved UV filters: mineral options like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, as well as chemical ones like avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone. Despite what you may see on Instagram and TikTok, they’re safe and they work. The thing is, though, the formulas built around them aren’t that great, which can lead to white casts, greasiness, and eye stingy-ness. The building blocks haven’t changed, and the textures reflect that.Because BEMT is an oil-soluble chemical filter, it’s lighter-feeling, spreads easily, works on sensitive skin, and leaves no white cast. It also has awesome protective qualities. Most U.S. sunscreens do a solid job blocking UVB rays (the ones responsible for sunburn and surface-level skin damage). UVA rays are a different problem: They penetrate deeper into the skin, drive premature aging, and are a primary contributor to skin cancer. Unlike a lot of products currently on the market, BEMT blocks both. The ingredient has long been popular in other countries like Europe and Asia.What the Future Feels LikeI actually got my hands on a formula from another country that has next-gen filters inside, including BEMT. Cosmetic scientist Julian Sass, PhD, pointed me toward the Japanese formulation of Bioré Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+, which contains BEMT, and the difference is immediately obvious. This formula is so viral, in fact, that even my 75-year-old father-in-law tracked down a bottle through the gray market. True story.I’ve been wearing it for a few months, including on the golf course. It’s one of my all-time favorites and is definitely the best sunscreen I’ve tested for mid-round reapplication. No slimy grip and worrying about the club flying out of my hands mid-swing. It sinks in fast and leaves nothing behind, which matters a lot more when you’re on the back nine and already sweating through your shirt.It’s unclear when BEMT will hit the market, though Neutrogena confirmed to Men’s Health that the company plans to integrate BEMT into its sunscreen innovation pipeline. If you can’t wait until the new BEMT sunscreens show up at your local CVS, your best path to try to get your hands on one of these formulas are in East Asian or European shops or through sites like YesStyle, Stylevana, and Care to Beauty. However, fair warning these retailers technically aren’t supposed to sell to us stateside. Dermatologists recommend sticking with what’s actually legally on shelves now.Why You Should Wear Sunscreen (If It Wasn’t Obvious Already)For the 83 percent of men who are not wearing SPF daily, let me drop some stats for you. In 2026, an estimated 65,000 men will be diagnosed with melanoma, and about 5,500 will die from it. Men have higher melanoma mortality at every age, especially after 50. Wearing sunscreen means you’re protecting the largest organ in your body from damage that adds up over time. Like I always say, if you’re spending dough on the latest supplement you saw on TikTok but skipping sun protection, you’re kind of missing the point.That’s why I love sharing good news like last month’s approval. As Dr. Zeichner put it, this is a moment dermatologists have been waiting for for years—it’s their Knicks championship. While the rest of us patiently wait for BEMT-formulated sunscreens to hit the market, below are a few sunscreens I love to use because, well, somethin’s better than nothin’.My Favorite SunscreensThis is an easy daily driver because it passes my ultimate test: Will this sh*t make me sweatier? Whether I’m chasing my kid around the park, squeezing in a walk between meetings, or sitting across from a customer, I need to know I’m not going full hostage crisis sweat mode. It’s light, goes on clear, and leaves a matte finish—not shiny.I reach for this one when my skin’s feeling dry or needs a little extra hydration thanks to the glycerin. It sinks in almost instantly, and somehow smells like the beach, which always puts me in a good mood before a round or a walk with my wife. Unlike some SPFs that leave your skin feeling congested or heavy, this one leaves me feeling refreshed.This one’s been a permanent fixture in my golf bag—my buddies are constantly asking for a quick hit of this on the course in between transfusions. It rubs in well and, crucially, doesn’t turn my mustache from its normal speckled red into a chalky white mess. I’ve been an Oars & Alps guy since their early days.This is a new fave after it came highly recommended by an editor friend of mine. I’ll admit I was initially thrown off since it’s thicker than what I’m used to and takes a bit more effort to rub in. But what sold me on Peak Performance is how well it stays put during a workout, 18 holes, or a full day at the beach. A little goes a long way and I appreciate that it’s fragrance-free. Fair warning: Because it’s a mineral formula, it might feel chalky when you first apply it, but it’s super protective once it’s rubbed in.This one makes my skin feel incredibly smooth every time I apply it. Their travel size lives in my backpack for work trips. I got the chance to join a group of derms on a Kiehl’s lab tour last year (still have my Beauty Bob lab coat to prove it), and seeing the level of detail that goes into their products blew my mind. This is the one that helps me “feel” more awake when I head out the door...even on minimal sleep.Bob Gearing is a New York-based writer covering men’s grooming from the perspective of a very real (and very sweaty) dude. By day, he’s a well-SPF’d tech sales bro; by night, he’s a red-light mask guy who definitely didn’t think he’d care this much about skincare. When he’s not testing the latest face serum, you’ll find him sweating through a round of golf or holding out hope that the Lions will make the Super Bowl before he dies.