Ingredient glossary
Octinoxate
On your shelf ✓What Octinoxate does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
In short: Octinoxate delivers uvb protection, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate. One thing to know: clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently.
- What it does
- Uvb protection
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Watch out
- Clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently
- Evidence
- Moderate
- How long
- Straight away
The molecule
The Glow take
Only as good as the sunscreen it lives in.
As a single filter, Octinoxate 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
moderate evidenceRegulatory and environmental discussions highlight octinoxate as effective but increasingly restricted in some regions due to ecological concerns.
On a label: usually effective at 4-7.5%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- normal
- oily
Approach with care
- very sensitive
- reef concern
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskModerate
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveTake care
Take extra care if any of these apply to you: reef concern.
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: UV attenuation by the applied film — UVB absorption contributing to SPF.
A UVB absorber that works from the moment the film dries, tested and labelled on the same 15-minute basis as every other monograph filter (US limit 7.5%, EU Annex VI limit 10%). As with avobenzone, the real time-dependence runs the wrong way: ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate photoisomerises under UV and loses absorbance over the exposure, so it is at its best immediately. Bans in some jurisdictions are environmental, not a statement about onset.
US 21 CFR 201.327; EU Reg 1223/2009 Annex VI; ISO 24444:2019.
Light, and how to keep it
Octinoxate breaks down in light. The packaging is doing real work: opaque, and closed between uses.
Photoisomerizes under sun exposure, measured directly on skin by infrared spectroscopy; the isomer filters less UVB.
PMID:17331311(abstract)
Plays well with
Octinoxate, answered
Is Octinoxate safe during pregnancy?
Clear it with your doctor first. Octinoxate is flagged as use-with-caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so check with your doctor or midwife before adding it.
Who should avoid Octinoxate?
Approach Octinoxate with care if any of these apply to you: very sensitive and reef concern. Its irritation risk is moderate, so introduce it slowly and patch test first.
What concentration of Octinoxate actually works?
Octinoxate tends to do its job in the 4 to 7.5% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Does Octinoxate go off?
It breaks down in light, and that is the part that has been measured. Photoisomerizes under sun exposure, measured directly on skin by infrared spectroscopy; the isomer filters less UVB. So the packaging is not decoration: opaque, and closed between uses. Heat, air and simple age matter too, and we have not sourced numbers for those, so treat this as one reason a product weakens rather than as a shelf life.
During pregnancy
Treat Octinoxate as a maybe rather than a yes for now. It is flagged as one to use with caution while pregnant or breastfeeding, so it is worth clearing before you carry on.
When in doubt, check with your doctor or midwife. They outrank any website, including this one.When it is worth booking →
Compare Octinoxate with
Can you mix Octinoxate with
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