Driving Global Synergy in Sunscreen Technology to Accelerate Chinese Brand Expansion and Product Innovation
ShanghaiJune 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — dsm-firmenich, a consumer-centric innovation company in nutrition, health, and beauty, recently announced that its sunscreen active ingredient PARSOL® Shield (bemotrizinol, abbreviated as BEMT, INCI: Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine) has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enter the U.S. market. This marks the first new sunscreen active ingredient approved in the United States in 25 years under the updated GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective) and MUsT (Maximum Usage Trial) evaluation framework, filling a long-standing innovation gap.
dsm-firmenich PARSOL® Shield Officially Approved by FDA, Ending 25-Year Gap in New Sunscreen Active Ingredients in the U.S.
As a key driver of this process, dsm-firmenich has leveraged long-term scientific research and regulatory collaboration to achieve the first U.S. market entry of a globally validated mainstream sunscreen active ingredient. PARSOL® Shield has been widely used in markets such as China and the European Union. With its entry into the U.S., global sunscreen formulation systems are expected to further integrate, providing greater synergy for Chinese brands expanding overseas and international brands upgrading their products in China. In this context, sunscreen is evolving from a single product function into a critical issue closely tied to public skin health, with technological innovation driving the popularization of scientific protection becoming a sustained industry focus.
Parand Salmassinia, President of dsm-firmenich’s Beauty & Care business, stated: “The approval of PARSOL® Shield not only marks a significant milestone for dsm-firmenich but also represents a key step forward for the U.S. sunscreen sector. With increased accessibility to next-generation UV protection technology in the U.S. market, the industry will see greater opportunities for formulation innovation and global synergy. This achievement stems from the company’s long-term investment in scientific research, regulatory collaboration, and continuous value innovation for consumers.”
From a technical perspective, clinical studies on PARSOL® Shield involved nearly 500 subjects, covering a diverse U.S. population. Results showed that the ingredient performed well in terms of UV protection efficacy, skin tolerance, and safety.
On the application side, PARSOL® Shield helps reduce UV-induced skin issues. Additionally, its excellent photostability and formulation compatibility provide more pathways for developing lightweight, high-protection sunscreen products. Building on this, the ingredient offers broad-spectrum protection, helping to reduce formulation burden while further enhancing product environmental performance, aligning with current sustainability trends and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements.
Leveraging the PARSOL® product portfolio, dsm-firmenich combines digital formulation tools (such as the eco-version of the Sunscreen Optimizer), systematic testing methods, and global regulatory compliance support to help companies improve R&D efficiency, reduce formulation complexity, and accelerate product market entry across different regions. At the same time, the company is conducting forward-looking research on emerging areas such as “UV and skin microbiome.” Based on this, dsm-firmenich is driving sunscreen from single-formula optimization toward more systematic, globally synergistic value solutions.
This progress further underscores dsm-firmenich’s ongoing commitment to public skin health. Over the years, guided by the philosophy of “driving progress through innovation and creating real value with technology,” the company has engaged in ongoing exchanges with regulatory bodies, non-governmental organizations, and legislative entities, including projects with the Skin Cancer Foundation and “Destination Healthy Skin,” aimed at raising public awareness of UV protection and promoting the adoption and practice of scientific sunscreen concepts.
Meanwhile, dsm-firmenich continues to deepen scientific exploration in the broader field of skin health, conducting systematic research on key areas such as aging mechanisms, microbiome, and epidermal care, and driving the translation of innovative outcomes into applications. For example, the company has pioneered the introduction of ingredients like Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), derived from early-life science, into skincare, expanding the boundaries of skin health solutions and demonstrating its sustained innovation capability from fundamental research to practical application.
Click here to view the official FDA announcement: FDA Official Announcement