What it is
A dibenzoylmethane derivative, one of the few chemical UVA filters approved in the US.
What it does
Absorbs long-wave UVA radiation, providing critical UVA protection in chemical sunscreens.
Why it’s a concern
Avobenzone is photounstable on its own and degrades into arylglyoxals and benzils that may generate reactive oxygen species on skin. Formulations typically pair it with photostabilisers (octocrylene) which come with their own concerns. Systemic absorption was measurable in the FDA 2020 study.
Also known as
butyl methoxydibenzoylmethaneBMDBMparsol 1789
CAS numbers
70356-09-1
Commonly found in
sunscreenspf moisturiser
Safer alternatives
- non-nano zinc oxide
- non-nano titanium dioxide
- newer EU-approved mineral-like filters
Sources
- Schauder and Ippen 1997, Contact Dermatitis
- Matta et al. 2020