You should know
What it is
Concerns
Explained
You probably know this ingredient as Oxybenzone, a sunscreen ingredient. It is a broad-spectrum sunscreen ingredient, meaning it can protect the skin against UVB and short UVA rays. The absorption range is 270-350 nm with peak absorption at 288 and 350 nm.
This chemical ingredient protects your skin by using chemical reactions to convert UV rays into heat and energy. UV absorbers may absorb both UVA and UVB rays. It is often combined with other sunscreen ingredients to help with stability.
Ongoing research is looking into whether oxybenzone causes skin irritation and sensitivity. However, it has been shown to trigger contact dermatitis in some studies.
Oxybenzone is allowed in certain concentrations by many countries. It is allowed up to 6% in the US, and Canada, 5% in Japan, and 10% in Australia. Other countries and regions of the US have banned this ingredient to protect coral reefs and marine ecosystems. These places include Hawaii, Key West, US Virgin Islands, marine parks in Thailand, Aruba, and Palau.
The EU currently allows the following maximum concentrations:
- 6% in face, hand, and lip products
- 2.2% in body, propellant, and pump spray products
- 0.5% in other products
Studies show conflicting results about oxybenzone being absorbed into the human body. The Swedish Research Institute has advised careful use of this ingredient by pregnant women and children. We always recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns about this ingredient and your health.
People also dislike: Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Parfum
Also known as: Oxybenzone and Bp-3
Benzophenone-3 is a rare cosmetic ingredient, with about 0.5% of the products in our database containing it.
What it does:
Community Stats
233 people from our community have liked or disliked this ingredient.
Users who dislike it 💔
Often have the following skin types:
Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:
Where it's used
Benzophenone-3 is most often found as ingredient number 7 within an ingredient list.
Of the 81 products in our database that have a known concentration of Benzophenone-3, we've seen concentrations from 1% to 35% specified within their ingredient lists.
These are the categories of products that use Benzophenone-3 the most:
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24871554/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8953895/
- https://echa.europa.eu/substance-information/-/substanceinfo/100.004.575
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c03885
- https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022R1176
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023000120
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26368661/
Products with Benzophenone-3
CosIng Data
- CosIng ID: 32142
- INCI Name: BENZOPHENONE-3
- INN Name: oxybenzone
- EC #: Â 205-031-5
- All Functions: UV Absorber, UV Filter