Octinoxate

📋 Quick facts

Description: Octinoxate — chemical UV filter.

All Functions: chemical UV filter

Quick Facts:

• Category: sunscreen
• Also Known As: Octyl Methoxycinnamate
• Comedogenic Rating: 0/5

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Octinoxate is an organic UV filter used in sunscreens and personal care products to absorb solar radiation
• It can enter freshwater environments through wastewater after being washed down the drain
• Research found a substantial safety margin between predicted environmental exposure and predicted no-effect levels in US freshwater
• Octinoxate breaks down during ozone water treatment, losing its UV-protective properties
• It has been restricted in Hawaii due to harmful effects on coral reefs
• Studies show octinoxate acts as an endocrine disruptor in humans and marine animals
• Octinoxate is significantly toxic to Symbiodinium, the algae that corals depend on for survival

⚗️ Chemical Overview

2-ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate is a colorless to pale yellow viscous liquid. (NTP, 1992) Octyl 4-methoxycinnamic acid is a cinnamate ester. Octinoxate is a cinnamate ester and common ingredient in sunscreen and other skin care products to minimize DNA photodamage. It was originally developed in 1950’s as an organic UV-B filter that absorbs UV-B rays from sun. It is often combined with nanoparticles or other water-resistant liposomes in formulations to increase the localization at the epidermis and decrease the risk of percutaneous absorption. Its use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations is approved by FDA.

Source(s): CAMEO Chemicals, DrugBank, ChEBI, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

0/5

🛡️ 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

Chemical sunscreen with endocrine-disrupting potential. Thyroid effects in animal studies. Avoid during pregnancy.

🌍 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

Octinoxate is one of the most commonly used organic UV filters in personal care products. Unlike inorganic filters (like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) that reflect UV radiation, octinoxate works by absorbing and converting solar radiation into heat (Plast Surg Nurs, 2019). #1: When you use products containing octinoxate—whether sunscreen, cleansers, or even through laundering clothes—the ingredient can wash down the drain and potentially enter freshwater ecosystems via wastewater treatment plant discharge (Environ Toxicol Chem, 2022). However, a comprehensive environmental risk assessment using the iSTREEM model found a substantial margin of safety between realistic worst-case environmental exposure levels and predicted no-effect concentrations in US freshwater systems, suggesting negligible risk under current conditions (Environ Toxicol Chem, 2022).

#2: During standard water treatment using ozone disinfection, octinoxate undergoes significant chemical transformation—a 2-log or greater reduction in concentration—meaning it loses its ability to absorb UV light during these processes (J Hazard Mater, 2017). Despite these findings in freshwater, octinoxate has raised separate concerns in marine environments. #3: The ingredient acts as an endocrine disruptor—meaning it can interfere with hormone systems—in both humans and marine animals, which has led to its restriction in Hawaii specifically due to harmful effects on coral reefs (Eur J Pharm Sci, 2023; Plast Surg Nurs, 2019). Research investigating octinoxate’s effects on Symbiodinium, the photosynthetic algae that corals depend on for survival, found it causes pronounced toxicity even at lower concentrations, affecting cell viability, metabolic activity, and triggering oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation) within these crucial organisms (Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2025).

Because of these concerns, researchers have been working to develop alternative UV filters with similar sun-protective properties but lower toxicity profiles (Eur J Pharm Sci, 2023).

📄 Related Research

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

• Burns EE et al. (2022). Freshwater Environmental Risk Assessment of Down-the-Drain Octinoxate Emissions in the United States. Environ Toxicol Chem.
• Hopkins ZR et al. (2017). Ozonation of the oxybenzone, octinoxate, and octocrylene UV-filters: Reaction kinetics, absorbance characteristics, and transformation products. J Hazard Mater.
• Siller A et al. (2019). Update About the Effects of the Sunscreen Ingredients Oxybenzone and Octinoxate on Humans and the Environment. Plast Surg Nurs.
• Zambrano D et al. (2023). In silico design, synthesis and evaluation of a less toxic octinoxate alternative with suitable photoprotection properties. Eur J Pharm Sci.
• Almeida AC et al. (2025). Specific toxicity of octinoxate and octocrylene on Symbiodinium sp., a symbiotic microalga with corals. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf.

🧴 Products Containing Octinoxate

• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Infallible Foundation True Beige 130
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Infallible Foundation Porcelaine 015
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Foundation Infallible Lin/Linen 100
• Blistex
• Blistex regular lip balm
• NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
• jack black Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20
• Lab Series Lab Series Daily Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 15
• laino soin des lèvres
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oreal Infallible Foundation Hazelnut 330
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oréal Paris Infaillible 300 Amber SPF25 32H Fresh Wear Foundation
• In’oya Mon fluide solaire
• yves
• Laboratoires Gilbert, Laino Soin des lèvres Cire d’abeille
• CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 30