Octocrylene ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used mainly to absorb UVB and short UVA radiation in sunscreens and SPF makeup. It also helps stabilize less photostable UV filters in the oil phase.
What does Octocrylene do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used mainly to absorb UVB and short UVA radiation in sunscreens and SPF makeup. It also helps stabilize less photostable UV filters in the oil phase.
Is Octocrylene clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has significant restricted-list friction because of sensitization and photoallergy reports, endocrine-screening questions, and potential benzophenone impurity or age-related formation. DARE would flag it as a conventional sunscreen filter with more controversy than many mineral or newer-generation options.
Is Octocrylene sustainable?
This material is typically petroleum-derived and is not considered readily biodegradable. It has been detected in aquatic environments, with persistence and bioaccumulation concerns that weaken its sustainability profile.
Is Octocrylene COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic products. Its nonrenewable sourcing, limited biodegradability, and environmental persistence are a poor fit with Green Chemistry priorities.
How does Octocrylene work chemically?
The molecule is a lipophilic, conjugated organic UV absorber with strong absorbance across roughly 280 to 360 nm and a peak near the UVB range. Typical regulatory maximums are up to 10% in several major markets, and formulators monitor aging, storage conditions, and impurity control because benzophenone levels can increase over time.
Last updated 2026-05-13