oxybenzone
Sign in to saveAlso known as Uvinul M40, 4-Methoxy-2-hydroxybenzophenone butyric acid, 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, 2-Benzoyl-5-methoxyphenol, Benzophenone-3, 4-Methoxy-2-hydroxybenzophenone, (2-Hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)phenylmethanone, Oxibenzona
Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3 or BP-3 (trade names Milestab 9, Eusolex 4360, Escalol 567, KAHSCREEN BZ-3) is an organic compound belonging to the class of aromatic ketones known as benzophenones. It takes the form of pale-yellow crystals that are readily soluble in most organic solvents. It is widely used in sunscreen formulations, plastics, toys, furniture finishes, and other products to limit UV degradation. In nature, it can be found in various flowering plants (angiosperms). The compound was first synthesised in Germany by chemists König and Kostanecki in 1906.
Research
805 papers- Dermatological and environmental toxicological impact of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone/benzophenone-3.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2018
- Review of environmental effects of oxybenzone and other sunscreen active ingredients.Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2019
- Can oxybenzone cause Hirschsprung's disease?Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) · 2019
- Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter, Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells and Its Environmental Contamination in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology · 2016
- Oxybenzone in Sunscreen: A Comprehensive Ecotoxicological Review.The Medical journal of Malaysia · 2025
via PubMed
~9 min read
Encyclopedic overview
20 sectionsContents
- Structure and electronic structure
- Production
- Uses
- Sunscreen
- Safety
- ''In vivo'' studies
- Environmental effects
- Health and environmental regulation
- Aruba
- Australia
- Bonaire
- Canada
- European Union
- Japan
- Mexico
- Palau
- Sweden
- Thailand
- United States
- References
Oxybenzone or benzophenone-3 or BP-3 (trade names Milestab 9, Eusolex 4360, Escalol 567, KAHSCREEN BZ-3) is an organic compound belonging to the class of aromatic ketones known as benzophenones. It takes the form of pale-yellow crystals that are readily soluble in most organic solvents. It is widely used in sunscreen formulations, plastics, toys, furniture finishes, and other products to limit UV degradation. In nature, it can be found in various flowering plants (angiosperms). The compound was first synthesised in Germany by chemists König and Kostanecki in 1906.
The use of oxybenzone as sunscreen ingredient is currently under scrutiny by the scientific community due to controversies about the molecule's environmental impact and safety profile (see section below). As a result, sunscreens containing oxybenzone have been banned from sale in Hawaii, Palau, and Thailand.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “oxybenzone” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.