Avobenzone

Synonyms: Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane

CAS Number: 70356-09-1

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79

80 89

90 100

Sources of exposure:

Personal care

Description:

Avobenzone is an organic chemical UV filter used in sunscreens to absorb ultraviolet radiation and protect skin from UV damage. It also helps improve product stability but degrades rapidly in sunlight, so stabilizers are commonly added to formulations.

Health concerns:

Genotoxicity

May cause mutations or damage DNA in cells.

Irritant

May cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.

Banned/restricted lists:

European Commission Annex VI UV filters allowed in cosmetic products. US FDA. Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use.

References

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.