Nearly three months after the FDA approved BEMT (bemotrizinol)—a new-to-the-States broad-spectrum chemical filter and the first of its kind to get approval in over two decades—the first sunscreen containing it has landed stateside, courtesy of Australian sunscreen brand Ultra Violette (a NewBeauty Award 2026 winner).
Unblock Screen SPF 50 Breakout-Friendly Skinscreen ($40), available now, is a fragrance-free formula made for breakout-prone, oily and sensitive skin types, with a soft-matte finish and a lightweight whipped texture. The brand says it wears well under makeup and isn’t greasy in the least, citing a clinical study of 20 participants in which 95 percent experienced a reduction in the number of non-inflammatory blemishes.
So what else is in the formula besides BEMT? It’s a hybrid formula, combining BEMT with the chemical filter octocrylene and the mineral filter zinc oxide. What sets BEMT apart isn’t just how well it works, but how gentle it is: Dallas dermatologist Elizabeth Houshmand, MD, told NewBeauty when the filter was approved that the filter doesn’t absorb much into skin and rarely causes irritation. The rest of the formula follows that lead, with skin-loving ingredients such as Bix'Activ, a plant extract that helps control oil, and Pentavitin, which helps skin stay hydrated for up to 72 hours.
The brand has been able to move so fast with getting this product to market because bemotrizinol’s already been a staple in its range. (It’s long been approved in Australia.) “We have developed products using BEMT in our global range for close to 10 years,” says Ultra Violette cofounder Bec Jefferd.
There’s more to come, too. Hot on the heels of Unblock Screen, Ultra Violette will launch Fave Screen SPF 50 in January 2027; a milky sunscreen with 5 percent bemotrizinol, niacinamide and vitamins C and E, created to brighten and even out skin tone.
In the meantime, Unblock Screen is worth trying now: shop it on the brand’s website, or find it on Sephora’s website and in stores starting in October.
Shop Ultra Violette’s Unblock Screen
