Active: Zinc Oxide 18.23. Inactive: Water ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an inorganic UV filter that attenuates both UVA and UVB radiation in a sunscreen film. At the listed level, it is used as the primary sunscreen active, with the inactive phase serving as the carrier.
What does Active: Zinc Oxide 18.23. Inactive: Water do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an inorganic UV filter that attenuates both UVA and UVB radiation in a sunscreen film. At the listed level, it is used as the primary sunscreen active, with the inactive phase serving as the carrier.
Is Active: Zinc Oxide 18.23. Inactive: Water clean?
This ingredient is generally accepted in clean-beauty frameworks because it is an inert mineral sunscreen active with low sensitization potential. Key scrutiny is particle size, inhalation exposure in loose powders or aerosols, and trace heavy-metal purity.
Is Active: Zinc Oxide 18.23. Inactive: Water sustainable?
This material comes from mined or processed mineral feedstocks rather than renewable agricultural sources. It is inorganic and not biodegradable, so environmental review focuses on particle form, aquatic exposure, and manufacturing controls rather than breakdown in wastewater.
Is Active: Zinc Oxide 18.23. Inactive: Water COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS natural and organic standards as an inorganic UV filter when it meets the standard’s purity and particle-size requirements. From a Green Chemistry lens, it scores for stability and low reactivity, but less well on renewable sourcing and biodegradability.
How does Active: Zinc Oxide 18.23. Inactive: Water work chemically?
This material is a crystalline inorganic metal oxide that functions through broadband light scattering and electronic absorption, with performance strongly shaped by particle size, surface treatment, dispersion quality, and film uniformity. In sunscreens it is commonly used around 5 to 25 percent, is stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges, and can raise viscosity or leave opacity unless well dispersed with compatible film-formers and wetting agents.
Last updated 2026-05-16