Neutrogena Launches Two U.S. Facial Sunscreens With Bemotrizinol

By Regina Bonham Bordeaux

September 17, 2026 · 1:33 p.m. ET

Bemotrizinol is moving into a more mainstream U.S. sunscreen option. Neutrogena is launching two facial sunscreens with 6% bemotrizinol: Ultra Sheer Daily Face Sunscreen SPF 70 and Clear Face Sunscreen SPF 60.¹²³

Both products are scheduled to become available through Amazon beginning September 17 for $16.99 each.⁵ For shoppers, the notable change is access: a newly permitted UV filter that entered the U.S. market through an early prestige launch is now arriving in a familiar mass-market sunscreen brand.

What launched

Both formulas use the same four sunscreen actives: 3% avobenzone, 6% bemotrizinol, 15% homosalate and 5% octisalate. The 6% bemotrizinol concentration is the maximum allowed under the FDA’s current sunscreen monograph.²³⁴

Ultra Sheer Daily Face SPF 70 is positioned as a lightweight daily sunscreen that layers under makeup. Clear Face SPF 60 is positioned for acne-prone skin and includes niacinamide; its official product page also identifies it as non-comedogenic and suitable for sensitive skin.²³

Why it matters

The FDA added bemotrizinol to the U.S. over-the-counter sunscreen monograph in June 2026, the first new sunscreen active added since the late 1990s. The filter provides UVA and UVB protection and had already been used in sunscreens outside the U.S. for years.⁴

Ultra Violette launched the first U.S. sunscreen with bemotrizinol in August. Neutrogena’s entry matters for a different reason: it puts the filter into a lower-priced, widely recognized sunscreen line and could make bemotrizinol more familiar to everyday U.S. shoppers.

That does not make these sunscreens automatically better than formulas using older filters. Texture, eye comfort, finish, tolerability and whether someone will apply enough and reapply still matter to the everyday buying decision.

What we know

Neutrogena calls the formulas Cloud-Tech and says they provide 1.5 times higher UVA protection than standard U.S. sunscreen formulations while maintaining a lightweight, fast-drying feel.²³ That comparison is a company claim; the public product pages do not provide enough detail about the benchmark formulas or full testing protocol to independently assess the size of the advantage.

The company also says Ultra Sheer feels 50% lighter than leading sunscreens. The supporting study details are not included in the announcement materials available today, so shoppers should treat that as a brand-reported sensory claim rather than an established category-wide comparison.⁵

What we’re watching

The next useful signals will be broader retail availability, how the two formulas perform in everyday wear, and how quickly other mass-market sunscreen brands adopt bemotrizinol. The Beauty Briefing will evaluate the individual Neutrogena formulas separately if they become Verdict candidates.