OCTINOXATE 5% ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an organic UVB filter used to absorb sunburn-range ultraviolet light and raise SPF in sunscreens, moisturizers, and makeup with sun protection claims.
What does OCTINOXATE 5% do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an organic UVB filter used to absorb sunburn-range ultraviolet light and raise SPF in sunscreens, moisturizers, and makeup with sun protection claims.
Is OCTINOXATE 5% clean?
From a clean beauty perspective, it is a common point of friction because many retailer and brand standards restrict it over endocrine-activity debate, sensitization potential in a small subset of users, and aquatic-impact concerns. It is not usually treated as a low-friction sunscreen active in stricter clean frameworks.
Is OCTINOXATE 5% sustainable?
This material is synthetic and typically made from petrochemical feedstocks. It is not readily biodegradable, is lipophilic, and has been detected in aquatic environments, which gives it a weaker sustainability profile than mineral filters or readily biodegradable organic materials.
Is OCTINOXATE 5% COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards as a sunscreen active. Its petrochemical sourcing, persistence concerns, and aquatic-impact profile place it in weak alignment with Green Chemistry principles.
How does OCTINOXATE 5% work chemically?
The molecule is an oil-soluble aromatic ester UV filter that absorbs mainly in the UVB range, with peak absorption around 310 nm, and a 5% level is within common sunscreen-use ranges in several markets. It can photoisomerize under UV exposure, so formulas often pair it with photostabilizing filters, antioxidants, or encapsulation strategies to support SPF performance over wear time.
Last updated 2026-05-13