Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate/Octinoxate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an oil-soluble UVB filter used to absorb short-wave UV radiation and boost SPF in sunscreens, moisturizers, lip products, and makeup with sun protection claims.
What does Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate/Octinoxate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an oil-soluble UVB filter used to absorb short-wave UV radiation and boost SPF in sunscreens, moisturizers, lip products, and makeup with sun protection claims.
Is Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate/Octinoxate clean?
Clean-beauty programs often flag this ingredient because of endocrine-activity debate, regulatory restrictions in some regions, and environmental scrutiny. It is generally treated as a conventional sunscreen filter rather than a low-friction clean-standard ingredient.
Is Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate/Octinoxate sustainable?
This material is synthetic and typically made from petrochemical-derived feedstocks. It is not considered readily biodegradable, is lipophilic, and has been detected in aquatic environments, which creates persistence and accumulation concerns.
Is Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate/Octinoxate COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards for certified natural and organic cosmetics. Its synthetic sourcing, limited biodegradability, and aquatic persistence concerns give it weak Green Chemistry alignment.
How does Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate/Octinoxate work chemically?
The molecule is a lipophilic aromatic ester UV filter with peak absorption in the UVB range around 310 nm. Typical regulatory maximums are about 7.5% in the United States and 10% in the European Union, and it can photoisomerize under UV exposure, so formulas often pair it with stabilizing filters or antioxidants.
Last updated 2026-05-16