Octocrylene 9.0%

TL;DR. This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used mainly for UVB and short-UVA coverage. It also helps stabilize less photostable filters in sunscreen systems.

What does Octocrylene 9.0% do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used mainly for UVB and short-UVA coverage. It also helps stabilize less photostable filters in sunscreen systems.

Is Octocrylene 9.0% clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, it has significant restricted-list friction because of sensitization and photoallergy reports, plus concern around benzophenone impurity formation during aging. It is regulator-approved at capped levels in many markets, but it is not considered low-friction by stricter clean standards.

Is Octocrylene 9.0% sustainable?

This material is synthetically made, typically from petrochemical feedstocks, and it is not readily biodegradable. It has been detected in waterways and aquatic organisms, which gives it a persistence and bioaccumulation profile that many sustainability frameworks flag.

Is Octocrylene 9.0% COSMOS-approved?

This ingredient is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards as a synthetic organic UV filter. Its fit with Green Chemistry is weak because it relies on nonrenewable feedstocks and has persistence concerns after rinse-off or recreational water exposure.

How does Octocrylene 9.0% work chemically?

The molecule is a lipophilic aromatic ester with a conjugated cyanoacrylate chromophore that absorbs mainly in the UVB range and adds some short-UVA support. It is commonly used up to about 10% in regulated sunscreen formulas, is oil-phase compatible, and is often paired with other filters to improve photostability and broaden coverage.

Last updated 2026-05-15