Octocrylene 4.7% ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an oil-soluble UV filter used mainly to absorb UVB and short UVA radiation in sunscreens and SPF cosmetics. It also helps improve photostability of certain other UV filters in the oil phase.
What does Octocrylene 4.7% do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an oil-soluble UV filter used mainly to absorb UVB and short UVA radiation in sunscreens and SPF cosmetics. It also helps improve photostability of certain other UV filters in the oil phase.
Is Octocrylene 4.7% clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has notable friction because some retailers and certification programs restrict synthetic UV filters with aquatic-persistence, bioaccumulation, or sensitization questions. It is regulated for use in sunscreens, but it is not considered an easy fit for stricter clean-standard lists.
Is Octocrylene 4.7% sustainable?
This material is typically petrochemical-derived and is not readily biodegradable. Environmental reviews focus on persistence in water, accumulation potential, and detection in aquatic systems.
Is Octocrylene 4.7% COSMOS-approved?
This ingredient is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards as a conventional synthetic UV filter. Its Green Chemistry alignment is weak because it relies on non-renewable feedstocks and has persistence concerns, even though it is effective at low single-digit to 10% use levels.
How does Octocrylene 4.7% work chemically?
The molecule is a lipophilic ester with a conjugated UV-absorbing chromophore, designed to sit in the oil phase and convert UV energy into lower-energy heat. It is generally photostable, commonly used around 2% to 10% depending on regional sunscreen limits, and can help stabilize more photolabile UVA-filter systems.
Last updated 2026-05-13