BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE

📋 Quick facts

Description: BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE — chemical UV filter (UVA) — INCI name for Avobenzone.

All Functions: chemical UV filter (UVA) — INCI name for Avobenzone

Quick Facts:

• Category: sunscreen

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Also called avobenzone, it’s a UVA sunscreen filter used in over-the-counter products
• Safety reviews show a suitable safety profile with low skin absorption (≤0.59% of applied dose)
• Generally doesn’t cause skin irritation or sensitization, though rare photoallergy cases have been reported
• When encapsulated in lipid particles, it penetrates skin less deeply while maintaining UV protection
• Breaks down in aquatic environments through exposure to sunlight

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Avobenzone is a member of dihydrochalcones. Avobenzone is dibenzoyl methane derivative. It is oil soluble ingredient. Avobenzone has the ability to absorb ultraviolet light over wider range of wavelengths. It is included in many commercially available sunscreens which are used as wide spectrum sunscreens. Avobenzone is very sensitive to light, to increase its stability and duration of action, photostablizers are added in the sunscreen product. Avobenzone has an absorption maximum of 357 nm. Sunscreens containing avobenzone is indicated for providing protection from the sun. In addition to limiting the skin’s exposure to the sun, using sunscreen agents may help reduce long-term sun damage such as premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. Avobenzone is a sunscreen blocker. Avobenzone is a topical, broad range UV protector and blocks UVA I, UVA II, and UVB wavelengths, thereby limiting the impact of UV rays on skin. (NCI05)

Source(s): NCI Thesaurus (NCIt), DrugBank, ChEBI, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🤰 Pregnancy Safety Note

Systemic absorption documented. Limited pregnancy data. Use mineral alternatives.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (BMDBM), commonly known as avobenzone, is a UV filter that absorbs ultraviolet light across a wide range of wavelengths, making it particularly useful for UVA protection in sunscreens. Safety and Absorption: #1: A comprehensive toxicity review found avobenzone has a suitable safety profile without clear markers of toxicity, supported by clinical studies and animal research (Crit Rev Toxicol, 2025). #2: Human skin absorbs very little of the applied dose—≤0.59%—meaning most stays on the surface rather than penetrating into the body (Crit Rev Toxicol, 2025). #3: The ingredient showed minimal acute toxicity and no evidence of affecting immune tissues or hormone systems like estrogen, androgen, or thyroid function (Crit Rev Toxicol, 2025).

#4: There is no indication of genotoxicity (DNA damage) in laboratory or animal studies, and carcinogenicity in humans is considered unlikely (Crit Rev Toxicol, 2025). #5: When used at the permitted maximum of 3% in sunscreen formulations in the United States and Canada, safety margins exceed 100-fold (Crit Rev Toxicol, 2025). Skin Irritation: #6: Avobenzone generally does not cause dermal irritation or sensitization in standard testing (Crit Rev Toxicol, 2025), though clinical case studies have documented rare instances of photoallergy—a reaction triggered by the combination of the ingredient and sun exposure (Crit Rev Toxicol, 2025). Formulation Improvements: #7: When encapsulated in lipid nanocarriers or microparticles, avobenzone shows improved stability under UV exposure and slower, more controlled release from the product (Photochem Photobiol, 2013; Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2011).

#8: Encapsulation reduces how deeply the filter penetrates into skin layers; in one study, microparticle-based formulations reduced skin penetration by 22.7% compared to non-encapsulated versions, with even greater reductions (45-56%) in deeper stratum corneum layers (Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2011). This reduced penetration should preserve UV protection while limiting potential toxicological exposure (Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2011). Environmental Fate: #9: Avobenzone is widely detected in aquatic environments due to its common use in personal care products and breaks down when exposed to sunlight through direct photolysis and reaction with hydroxyl radicals (Sci Total Environ, 2022). #10: Some breakdown products may have higher mobility in the environment than the original compound, though most identified breakdown products were found to be less ecotoxic than avobenzone itself (Sci Total Environ, 2022).

Limitations of Available Data: The sources do not provide information about specific efficacy percentages for avobenzone alone in typical consumer formulations, long-term safety data beyond 90 days in animals, or detailed comparison to other UV filters.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Norman KG et al. (2025). Comprehensive review of avobenzone (butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane) toxicology data and human exposure assessment for personal care products. Crit Rev Toxicol.
• Niculae G et al. (2013). Coencapsulation of butyl-methoxydibenzoylmethane and octocrylene into lipid nanocarriers: UV performance, photostability and in vitro release. Photochem Photobiol.
• Iannuccelli V et al. (2008). In vivo and in vitro skin permeation of butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane from lipospheres. Skin Pharmacol Physiol.
• Scalia S et al. (2011). Encapsulation of the UV filters ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane in lipid microparticles: effect on in vivo human skin permeation. Skin Pharmacol Physiol.
• Li Y et al. (2022). Environmental photochemistry of organic UV filter butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane: Implications for photochemical fate in surface waters. Sci Total Environ.

🧴 Products Containing BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE

• Eucerin Eucerin Lip Activ Soin Actif Levres Stick 4.8G (lip Care)
• Nivea Men NIVEA Men Active Energy Hydraterende Dagcrème
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Spray transparent protection invisible 30 haute
• Nivea Nivea q10 plus anti rides
• Nivea Sun Pflegende Sonnenmilch – LSF 50+ Sehr Hoch
• Nivea, Nivea Men NIVEA Men Hyaluron Anti-age Gezichtscrème
• Beiesdorf, Nivea, Nivea Sun Protect & Hydrate 30 haute
• Nivea Q10 Plus Soin de jour FPS 15
• Nivea Sun kids Lait protecteur Protect & Sensitive
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Sensitive Day Care 50ml
• nivea protector solar
• Nivea crème solaire visage nivea
• Nivea Sun Kids Lait Protecteur Format Voyage
• Nivea NIVEA Sun Protect & Hydrate SPF30 Zonnebrandspray
• Nivea NIVEA Sun Protect & Hydrate SPF50+ Zonnebrandspray
• Nivea Sun Protect & Moisture, SPF15
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Day Care Q10 Plus C 50ml
• Nivea sun Crème Visage Solaire Anti-Rides UV Q10 FPS 50
• Beierdorf labello med repair
• labello All-Wetter set
• NIVEA kids sensitive protect
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Sensitive Immediate Protect+, SPF30
• nivea hand cream 3 in 1 repaircare
• Eucerin Oil control
• NIVEA Sun,NIVEA babies & kids sensitive protect 50+
• Nivea sun Crème Protection Solaire Spray FPS 50+ Sensitive
• Nivea sun NIVEA Sun Breathable Uv Specialist Luminous630 Anti-Spot SPF50+ Zonnefluïde
• Nivea Sun protect & moisture SPF 50+
• Nivea, Nivea Sun Kids Sensitive Protect Spray, SPF50
• Nivea Sun UV Face Shine Control SPF 50
• Balea Beauty Effect Tagescreme
• Sun Dance, Sundance Sonnenmilch 30 (hoch)
• dm sun dance 30 transparentes sonnenspray
• Balea Professional, dm Blond Shampoo
• Sun dance, Sundance Sonnen light Lotion mit Kokosduft 20 mittel
• cien cien bb crème
• Cien Cell Intense Cien
• Cien Bronceador bifásico 30
• Sundance, sun dance Transparentes Sonnenspray LSF 50
• Eucerin Lotion Sun Protection kids SPF 50+