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Outline
Overview of Sunscreen Ingredients
Sunscreen Ingredients Specified by US Regulations
Sunscreen Ingredients Allowed in Chinese Cosmetics
Sunscreen Ingredients Allowed by the EU
Discover UV-Absorbers from Alfa Chemistry
The Impact of Molecular Weight on the Safety of Sunscreens
Frequently Asked Questions
The sunscreen ingredients allowed by regulations are all raw materials with high safety after rigorous safety testing and long-term market testing. Compared with the problems of sunburn, inflammation, and skin photoaging caused by ultraviolet rays, the safety issues brought by sunscreen ingredients can only be the lesser of two evils. However, professional cosmetic formulators can choose safer sunscreen ingredients to minimize the damage.
Herein, Alfa Chemistry will introduce you to the differences between countries in the number of types of sunscreen ingredients, the new raw material approval system, the concentration allowed for use, and the number of sunscreen ingredients allowed to be used.
The number of sunscreen ingredients specified by US regulations is relatively small, with only 16 in total, and only titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are considered truly safe. Even if other sunscreen ingredients are considered to be usable, the final product needs to provide a safety assessment.
| Name | Maximum allowable addition amount | Name | Maximum allowable addition amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aminobenzoic acid (PABA) | 15% | Octisalate | 5% |
| Avobenzone | 3% | Octocrylene | 10% |
| Cinoxate | 3% | Oxybenzone | 6% |
| Dioxybenzone | 3% | Padimate O | 8% |
| Ensulizole (PBSA) | 4% | Sulisobenzone | 10% |
| Homosalate | 15% | Titanium Dioxide | 25% |
| Meradimate | 5% | Trolamine Salicylate | 12% |
| Octinoxate | 7.5% | Zinc oxide (ZnO) | 25% |
There are 27 sunscreen ingredients allowed in China's cosmetic hygiene regulations. That is to say, as long as these sunscreen ingredients are within the allowed limit, they are in compliance with regulations. However, the lower the amount allowed, the higher the risk of the ingredient.
Sunscreen ingredients permitted for use in cosmetics as specified in China's Cosmetic Safety Technical Specifications (2015 edition) are listed as follows:
| Name | Maximum allowable addition amount | Name | Maximum allowable addition amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Benzylidene camphor | 2% | Ethylhexyl salicylate | 5% |
| 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor | 4% | Ethylhexyl triazone | 5% |
| Benzophenone-3 | 10% | Homosalate | 10% |
| Benzophenone-4 Benzophenone-5 | 5% | Isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate | 10% |
| Alpha-(2-oxoborn-3-ylidene)-toluene-4-sulfonic acid and its salts | 6% | Methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol | 10% |
| Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine | 10% | Octocrylene | 10% |
| Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane | 5% | PEG-25 PABA | 10% |
| Camphor benzalkonium methosulfate | 6% | 2-Phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulfonic acid and its potassium, sodium, and triethanolamine salts | 8% |
| Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate | 10% | Polyacrylamidomethyl benzylidene camphor | 6% |
| Diethylhexyl butamido triazone | 10% | Polysilicone-15 | 10% |
| Disodium phenyl dibenzimidazole tetrasulfonate | 10% | 3,3'-(1,4-Phenylenedimethylene)bis(7,7-dimethyl-2-oxobicyclo-[2.2.1]hept-1-yl-methanesulfonic acid) and its salts | 10% |
| Drometrizole trisiloxane | 15% | Titanium dioxide | 25% |
| Ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA | 8% | Zinc oxide (ZnO) | 25% |
| Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate | 10% |
The EU manages sunscreen products as cosmetics, and the sunscreen ingredients used are subject to the provisions of Annex VI of EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 "List of Sunscreens Permitted for Cosmetics". This appendix includes a total of 28 sunscreen ingredients, which is very similar to that of China.
| Name | Maximum allowable addition amount | Name | Maximum allowable addition amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aminobenzoic acid (PABA) | 5% | Ethylhexyl triazone | 5% |
| Camphor benzalkonium methosulfate | 6% | Drometrizole trisiloxane | 15% |
| Homosalate | 10% | Diethylhexyl butamido triazone | 10% |
| Benzophenone-3 | 10% | 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor | 4% |
| Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid | 8 % | 3-Benzylidene Camphor | 2% |
| Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid | 10% | Ethylhexyl salicylate | 5 % |
| Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane | 5% | Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA | 8% |
| Benzylidene Camphor Sulfonic Acid | 6% | Benzophenone-4, Benzophenone-5 | 5 % |
| Octocrylene | 10% | Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol | 10 % |
| Polyacrylamidomethyl Benzylidene Camphor | 6% | Disodium Phenyl Dibenzimidazole Tetrasulfonate | 10 % |
| Ethylhexvl Methoxycinnamate | 10% | Polysilicone-15 | 10 % |
| PEG-25 PABA | 10% | Titanium Dioxide | 25% |
| Isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate | 10% | Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate | 10% |
The safety issues of some sunscreen ingredients are mainly manifested in photosensitivity, free radical release, and the impact on endocrine hormones. The safety issues caused by sunscreen ingredients are based on the premise that the sunscreen ingredients are absorbed by the skin and reach a certain dose.
The key factors that determine whether an ingredient is easily absorbed by the skin include the polarity, molecular weight and other properties of the ingredient itself. Generally, the larger the molecular weight, the harder it is to be absorbed by the skin. Therefore, sunscreen ingredients with large molecular weights are relatively safer.
When formulators design formulas or consumers choose sunscreen products, they can refer to the molecular weight of sunscreen ingredients and try to choose sunscreen ingredients with higher molecular weights to improve product safety.
| Sunscreen Ingredients | Molecular Weight | Absorption Band |
|---|---|---|
| Ethylhexyl triazone | 823 | UVB |
| Diethylhexyl butamido triazone (HEB) | 766 | UVB |
| Methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol (UV 360) | 659 | UVA+UVB |
| Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (BEMT) | 627 | UVA+UVB |
| Terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid (TDSA) | 562 | UVA |
| Dromisotriazole trisiloxane | 501 | UVA+UVB |
| Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB) | 398 | UVA |
| Octocrylene (OCR) | 361 | UVB |
| Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone, BMDM) | 310 | UVA |
| Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (OMC, EHMC) | 290 | UVB |
| Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (PBSA) | 274 | UVB |
| Benzophenone-3 | 275 | UVB |
| Homosalate (HMS) | 262 | UVB |
| 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (MBC) | 254 | UVB |
| Ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS) | 250 | UVB |
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