Octocrylene 6.3% ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an oil-soluble UV filter used mainly for UVB protection, with some short-UVA coverage. It also helps stabilize less photostable sunscreen filters in an emulsion or anhydrous base.
What does Octocrylene 6.3% do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an oil-soluble UV filter used mainly for UVB protection, with some short-UVA coverage. It also helps stabilize less photostable sunscreen filters in an emulsion or anhydrous base.
Is Octocrylene 6.3% clean?
It is accepted by conventional sunscreen regulations at capped levels, but many clean-beauty retailers and seals restrict or exclude it because of sensitization reports, endocrine-activity debate, and benzophenone impurity concerns. It is not considered a low-friction clean-standard ingredient.
Is Octocrylene 6.3% sustainable?
This material is synthetic and generally petrochemical-derived. It is not readily biodegradable and has raised concern for persistence and aquatic accumulation, which weakens its environmental profile.
Is Octocrylene 6.3% COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic products. From a Green Chemistry view, it has limited alignment because it relies on synthetic petrochemical chemistry, shows poor biodegradability, and carries environmental persistence concerns.
How does Octocrylene 6.3% work chemically?
The molecule is an oil-soluble aromatic ester with a cyanoacrylate chromophore that absorbs primarily in the UVB range and helps improve the photostability of certain UVA filters. In the US and EU it is typically capped at 10% in sunscreens, so a 6.3% use level sits within those regulatory limits, and formulators monitor purity and storage conditions because benzophenone can increase over time with heat and aging.
Last updated 2026-08-19