Ultra Violette launches Unblock Screen SPF 50

Ultra Violette said on August 31 that it launched Unblock Screen SPF 50 Breakout-Friendly Skinscreen in the United States, describing it as the first sunscreen sold in the U.S. market to contain bemotrizinol. The Australian suncare brand said the launch follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s June 2026 decision to add bemotrizinol to the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph. The product is now available in U.S. retail channels, the company said. FDA said in June that bemotrizinol was the first new sunscreen active ingredient added to the OTC monograph since the late 1990s. ### What exactly did Ultra Violette put on the U.S. market? Unblock Screen SPF 50 is the product Ultra Violette introduced for U.S. shoppers, according to the company’s August 31 statement. Ultra Violette described it as a breakout-friendly sunscreen aimed at acne-prone, oily and reactive skin types, with a soft-matte finish and a formulation combining zinc and bemotrizinol. (prnewswire.com) Happi, a trade publication covering the beauty industry, reported the U.S. debut marked Ultra Violette’s stateside arrival with a sunscreen containing bemotrizinol. The company had already announced a broader U.S. expansion through Sephora in March 2025, when it said the United States would become its 30th market. (prnewswire.com) ### What did the FDA approve in June 2026? The FDA said in June 2026 that it added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients. The agency said the move expanded sunscreen options for U.S. consumers and called bemotrizinol the first new active ingredient added to the OTC sunscreen monograph in roughly two decades. (happi.com) The Federal Register notice published June 10 said the final order amended OTC Monograph M020 to allow bemotrizinol at concentrations up to 6% as a sunscreen active ingredient. The notice also said products containing the ingredient must meet conditions covering concentration, permitted combinations with other sunscreen and skin-protectant actives, and dosage forms. (fda.gov) ### Why has bemotrizinol drawn attention? BASF said on June 12 that bemotrizinol, which it markets as Tinosorb S, had received FDA approval as a sunscreen active ingredient and was already used in other markets. BASF described it as a broad-range UVB and UVA filter and said the U.S. approval opened the ingredient to the American sunscreen market. (federalregister.gov) Drug Topics reported last week that FDA’s June action permitted bemotrizinol in U.S. sunscreen formulations at concentrations up to 6%. That publication said new products were beginning to reach shelves after the monograph change. ### Is Ultra Violette really first? Ultra Violette said it was the first brand in the United States to launch a sunscreen containing newly approved bemotrizinol. (basf.com) Independent search results reviewed for this article surfaced Ultra Violette’s August 31 announcement and follow-up trade coverage, but did not show an earlier named U.S. retail launch by another consumer sunscreen brand. That is an inference based on available public reports, not a statement from FDA. (drugtopics.com) The company’s claim is also narrower than a broad approval claim. FDA approved the ingredient for use under the monograph; Ultra Violette is claiming to be first to market a consumer product in U.S. retail channels that includes it. (prnewswire.com) ### Where does this leave U.S. sunscreen shoppers now? U.S. consumers can now buy a sunscreen formulated with bemotrizinol, following the June 2026 monograph change and Ultra Violette’s August 31 launch. The immediate next step is market rollout: Ultra Violette said Unblock Screen SPF 50 is available now through U.S. retail channels, while other manufacturers can also formulate products using bemotrizinol within the FDA’s monograph conditions, including the 6% concentration cap. (prnewswire.com)