Sunscreen is more complex than its label suggests. The FDA just approved the first new active ingredient in 25+ years, but a 2025 Australian study found 16 of 20 popular sunscreens fell short of advertised SPF levels. Beyond ingredient innovation and testing inconsistencies, the biggest gap may be public health advice: the only gold-standard trial proving sunscreen prevents melanoma involved only white participants, raising questions about whether blanket recommendations fit people of color, whose melanin provides 60 times more DNA protection against UV damage than fair skin. Bemotrizinol, approved by the FDA in 2024, is the first new active sunscreen ingredient in 25 years; it offers broader UV protection, lasts longer, and doesn't absorb into skin as easily as existing molecules.