What’s Wrong With Sunscreens Containing Avobenzone?

• Avobenzone is the main ingredient in "active chemical" sunscreens
• Avobenzone breaks down in sunlight in 30 minutes, so manufacturers use questionable "stabilizing" chemicals such as octocrylene, homosalate, or octisalate
• Research shows avobenzone reacts with chlorine and might cause toxic reactions  

On the heels of Hawaii’s recent ban of toxic sunscreen ingredients Oxybenzone and Octocrylene, there is also a general increase in consumer desire for “safer” sunscreens. Is sunscreen safe just because it is “Oxybenzone Free”? Many sunscreen manufacturers would like you to believe so, and tout “Oxybenzone Free” on their labels and in their advertising, while continuing to use chemical ingredients like Avobenzone. But what is Avobenzone, and is it safe?

As we explained in our blog post "Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equal" there are two proven-effective UVA blockers, one chemical and one mineral (Avobenzone and Zinc Oxide). Avobenzone was approved by the FDA in 1988 for its ability to absorb UVA rays, which cause premature aging and skin cancer. For that reason, it is used by millions looking to protect themselves from the sun. But this is problematic for people worried about the toxic effects of what they are putting on their skin. Why?

Avobenzone breaks down in the sun in 30 minutes 

As an initial matter, once exposed to the sun, avobenzone alone offers about 30 minutes of protection. Since UVA rays do their damage deep within the layers of your skin, you wouldn’t experience the effects until many years later. Because many chemical sunscreen companies continue to use avobenzone for UVA protection, they have to add other, even more unsafe, chemicals like octocrylene, homosalate, or octisalate to make the avobenzone work longer than 30 minutes.

Avobenzone Containing Sunscreens Often Cause Skin Allergies

There are a number of articles in the literature about Octocrylene - the most common avobenzone stabilizer chemical - causing skin irritation, including rashes and acne.

Avobenzone Containing Sunscreens can cause hormone disruption - and are even more toxic when exposed to chlorine

Avobenzone degrades when it is exposed to the sun which results in harmful free radicals being released into the body. These free radicals can accelerate the aging process and increase the risk of illness including cancer. Making this worse, because of its short life - Avobenzone is always linked with other chemical ingredients, Octocrylene, Homosalate or Octisalate, to stabilize it, which each have dangerous side effects:

• Octocrylene is often found in sunscreens with Avobenzone. Too much of this chemical can have harmful side effects. It is efficient at absorbing into the skin and can penetrate to the deepest layers of the skin. This deep absorption leads to interactions with other chemicals which cause changes deep in the skin, producing oxygen radicals that can lead to cell death and may be implicated in cardiovascular disease.

• Octocrylene - August 2021 Update: Recent studies have identifiedanother potential carcinogen linked to octocrylene. Octocrylene breaks down into Benzophenone, a hormone disruptor and potential “reproductive toxicant”. While we need more research to fully understand the consequences of Benzophenone exposure through sunscreen,Haereticus Environmental Laboratory states that “Benzophenone is also an endocrine disruptor, affecting thyroid function as well as inducing anti-androgenic activity, delaying testicular development and causing anatomic difficulties with female reproductive organs."

• Homosalate  helps active chemical sunscreens penetrate your skin. It is used because it is fast-absorbing, oftentimes accumulating in our bodies faster than our bodies can dispose of it. It can become toxic and disrupt estrogen, androgen and progesterone levels. 

Check for Avobenzone

A study published in Chemosphere found that avobenzone can turn toxic when exposed to chlorine. The study suggests reactions from these chemicals interacting form new compounds that could result in kidney and liver dysfunction and nervous system disorders. Based on the multiple studies, “one could make a conclusion that a generally safe compound [can] transform in water and form more dangerous products,” said study author Albert Lebedev, MD . “In spite of the fact that there are no precise toxicological profiles for the most established products, it’s known that acetyl benzenes and phenols, especially chlorinated ones, are quite toxic.” 

For a safe alternative, consider using an active chemical-free sunscreen likeTropicSport, which is made with natural minerals Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide and no chemical active ingredients. Natural zinc oxide offers natural broad-spectrum sun protection from both UVB rays and the UVA rays that cause premature aging and skin cancer. Zinc doesn’t break down in the sun, doesn’t cause skin allergies, and doesn’t release free radicals. It is also reef-friendly, unlike active chemicals like octocrylene.