Ingredient glossary
Ethylhexyl Triazone
On your shelf ✓What Ethylhexyl Triazone does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Ethylhexyl Triazone · Also: Uvinul T 150
In short: Ethylhexyl Triazone delivers uvb protection, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is strong.
- What it does
- Uvb protection
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Strong
- How long
- Straight away
The molecule
The Glow take
Only as good as the sunscreen it lives in.
As a single filter, Ethylhexyl Triazone only matters as part of a finished sunscreen you actually reapply. The best SPF is the one that feels good enough to wear every morning.
— Maya
What it does
- uvb protection
strong evidenceAbsorption peaks near 314 nm in the UVB band and the large molecule barely passes through skin. EU Annex VI caps it at 5 percent, and the European and Australian regulator reviews behind that limit found no irritation, sensitization or endocrine signal at that level. SPF performance is proven at the level of finished sunscreens rather than single filter trials.
On a label: usually effective at 2-5%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- normal
- oily
Approach with care
- rare allergy
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Take extra care if any of these apply to you: rare allergy.
Where it fits in your routine
This one works on contact — there is nothing to wait for.
What that covers, and what it does not
Measured on: UVB attenuation by the dried film, the protection measured as SPF.
Absorption peaks near 314 nm and the filter attenuates UVB the moment the applied film has dried and evened out; nothing in skin is being remodelled. The in vivo SPF method builds exactly this in — it irradiates after a fixed waiting period following a 2 mg/cm2 application, and consumer labelling's apply-15-to-20-minutes-before-exposure is film drying time, not biological onset. Two caveats: protection exists only while the film exists and reverses on washing or rubbing, and SPF is demonstrated for finished sunscreens at the formula level, never for this filter alone, which the EU caps at 5 percent.
EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 Annex VI entry for ethylhexyl triazone; ISO 24444 in vivo SPF determination method, which defines the post-application wait before irradiation. No PMID asserted.
Plays well with
- other uvb filters
- broad spectrum filters
Ethylhexyl Triazone, answered
Is Ethylhexyl Triazone safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Ethylhexyl Triazone is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Ethylhexyl Triazone?
Approach Ethylhexyl Triazone with care if any of these apply to you: rare allergy.
What concentration of Ethylhexyl Triazone actually works?
Ethylhexyl Triazone tends to do its job in the 2 to 5% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Compare Ethylhexyl Triazone with
This, for every label you own
One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.
Sources & how we reviewed this
- EU Regulation 1223/2009-AnnexVI-ethylhexyl-triazonesummary page only, the document itself was not read