Octisalate 5% Sunscreen

TL;DR. This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used in it products, mainly to absorb UVB wavelengths and raise SPF. At 5%, it is at the U.S. maximum allowed level for this filter.

What does Octisalate 5% Sunscreen do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used in it products, mainly to absorb UVB wavelengths and raise SPF. At 5%, it is at the U.S. maximum allowed level for this filter.

Is Octisalate 5% Sunscreen clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because many mineral-only or stricter retailer standards do not include it, and U.S. regulators have requested more safety data for several organic UV filters. It is not a common sensitizer for most users, but eye-area sting and individual sensitivity can matter in finished formulas.

Is Octisalate 5% Sunscreen sustainable?

This material is typically synthetic and petrochemical-derived, with no meaningful renewable sourcing advantage. It has lower public environmental scrutiny than some older organic it filters, but aquatic biodegradation and persistence data keep it from being a limited sustainability fit.

Is Octisalate 5% Sunscreen COSMOS-approved?

It is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic products as a synthetic organic UV filter. From a Green Chemistry view, it scores poorly because it is petrochemical-derived and lacks strong readily biodegradable credentials.

How does Octisalate 5% Sunscreen work chemically?

The molecule is a lipophilic aromatic ester that absorbs mainly in the UVB range, with peak absorption around 307 nm, so it is usually paired with other filters for broad-spectrum coverage. In the U.S. OTC it monograph it is allowed up to 5%, is oil-phase soluble, and is generally photostable but does not cover UVA on its own.

Last updated 2026-08-20