Octocrylene 9.5% ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used mainly for UVB and short UVA-II absorption. It also helps photostabilize other sunscreen filters in anhydrous and emulsion systems.
What does Octocrylene 9.5% do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an oil-soluble organic UV filter used mainly for UVB and short UVA-II absorption. It also helps photostabilize other sunscreen filters in anhydrous and emulsion systems.
Is Octocrylene 9.5% clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has significant restricted-list friction because of photoallergy reports, endocrine-screening scrutiny, and concern over trace degradation impurities. It is still legally used in many sunscreens, but it is not treated as an unproblematic filter by stricter standards.
Is Octocrylene 9.5% sustainable?
This material is typically synthetic and petrochemical-derived, with limited renewable-feedstock alignment. Environmental concerns center on persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and detection in aquatic settings.
Is Octocrylene 9.5% COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic organic UV filter outside the standard’s allowed mineral-filter approach. Its Green Chemistry fit is weak due to nonrenewable sourcing, persistence concerns, and limited biodegradability.
How does Octocrylene 9.5% work chemically?
The molecule is an aromatic ester with conjugated double bonds and a nitrile group, giving strong UVB-range absorbance and useful photostabilizing behavior with less stable filters. In many regions it is used up to about 10% in finished sunscreens, is oil soluble and water insoluble, and can slowly form benzophenone during storage, especially with heat and age.
Last updated 2026-05-16