Active: Zinc Oxide 14.2% ●
TL;DR. This ingredient functions primarily as a mineral UV filter, helping protect skin by reflecting, scattering, and absorbing UV radiation. At a 14.2% active level, it is typically used to support broad-spectrum sunscreen performance and can also add opacity to a formula.
What does Active: Zinc Oxide 14.2% do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient functions primarily as a mineral UV filter, helping protect skin by reflecting, scattering, and absorbing UV radiation. At a 14.2% active level, it is typically used to support broad-spectrum sunscreen performance and can also add opacity to a formula.
Is Active: Zinc Oxide 14.2% clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated and has low sensitization potential, which is why it is common in formulas for sensitive skin. The main scrutiny is particle size, inhalation exposure in sprays or loose powders, surface coatings, and trace-metal specifications.
Is Active: Zinc Oxide 14.2% sustainable?
This is a mined or mineral-derived inorganic material, so its sustainability profile depends on responsible extraction, purification, and particle processing. It does not biodegrade like plant-derived organics, but it is not considered environmentally persistent in the same way as many synthetic organic UV filters.
Is Active: Zinc Oxide 14.2% COSMOS-approved?
It is generally permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards when it meets mineral-origin and processing requirements, with extra conditions for nano-scale use. From a Green Chemistry lens, it scores well for stability and low reactivity, but less strongly on renewability because it comes from mineral feedstocks.
How does Active: Zinc Oxide 14.2% work chemically?
The molecule is an inorganic metal oxide used as a particulate UV filter, with performance shaped by particle size, dispersion quality, and any surface treatment. It is photostable across normal cosmetic pH ranges, and formulators usually pair it with dispersing agents and film formers to improve even coverage, reduce whitening, and maintain SPF performance.
Last updated 2026-08-19