The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 63: The 25-Year Road to a New FDA-Approved Sunscreen Filter with Carl D’Ruiz

Описание: For more than 25 years, the U.S. sunscreen market has been frozen in time – while the rest of the world moved on to newer, more advanced UV filters. In this episode of The Skincarma Pod, Carmine sits down with Carl D’Ruiz, one of the key figures behind the FDA’s proposed order to add a new UV filter to the U.S. sunscreen monograph – the first in more than a generation.


Carl is a regulatory and scientific affairs leader at dsm-firmenich, and has spent nearly two decades navigating shifting regulations, Congressional mandates, clinical trials, and evolving FDA requirements to bring bemotrizinol (PARSOL® Shield) to the brink of U.S. approval. When finalized, it would become only the third UV filter considered GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective) under modern FDA standards.


In this wide-ranging conversation, Carmine and Carl unpack:


Why sunscreen is regulated as a drug in the U.S. – and how that stalled innovation;


What Category III really means (and why it doesn’t equal “unsafe”);


The impact of systemic absorption studies and the 2019 JAMA sunscreen headlines;


Why Americans have access to far fewer UV filters than Europe, S. Korea, or Australia;


How bemotrizinol could enable better broad-spectrum protection and more wearable formulas, especially for melanated skin;


What it actually takes – in time, data, and money – to shepherd a new sunscreen active through the FDA;


And why this milestone could open the door to a new era of sunscreen innovation in the U.S.


The episode also explores Carl’s unconventional career path – from the EPA to tobacco harm reduction to sunscreen regulation – along with the signature lightning round that touches on cycling, risk-taking, mentorship, and what it really means to play the long game in public health.


This is a must-listen for anyone curious about sunscreen safety, FDA regulation, ingredient innovation, or why the products Americans use every day have lagged so far behind the rest of the world – and what finally might change.


—


Follow Carl D’Ruiz on Instagram here (https://www.instagram.com/carldruiz?i...) and on LinkedIn here (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-d-ru...) . And, you can learn more about Carl’s decades-long work to get PARSOL® Shield over the finish line in the BeautyMatter article, The Great Sunscreen Odyssey: The 25-Year Road to a “New” UV Filter. (https://beautymatter.com/articles/the...)


Follow Skincarma on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/skincarma?i...) and on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@skincarma?_t=...) . Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. (http://www.skincarma.com) You can also connect with Carmine on LinkedIn here (  / carminemontalto  ) and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here (https://www.cminknyc.com) .


If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...) Substack (https://skincarma.substack.com/podcast) , or Spotify (   • The Skincarma® Pod  ) to help Carmine reach more curious listeners.


Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog:


Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-sun...) .


Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-ret...) .


Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-vit...) .


Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-bri...) .


Explore the Best Acne Treatments here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-acn...) .


Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-ant...) .


Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-fac...) .


Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here (https://www.skincarmanyc.com/best-fac...) .


The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter.


The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare ...