Ingredient glossary
Octocrylene
On your shelf ✓What Octocrylene does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Octocrylene
In short: Octocrylene delivers uvb protection and photostabilizer, 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, photostabilizer
- 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, Octocrylene 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
- photostabilizer
moderate evidenceData indicate octocrylene helps maintain SPF and UVA protection in blends but has been associated with rare photoallergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
On a label: usually effective at 4-10%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- normal
- oily
Approach with care
- very sensitive
- fragrance allergy like
- 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: fragrance allergy like.
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, plus in-film photostabilisation of avobenzone.
Both of its roles act during the exposure itself: it absorbs UVB from the moment the film sets, and it quenches avobenzone's excited state in the same film, so neither depends on any change in the skin. US monograph allows up to 10%; EU Annex VI likewise lists it. The documented downsides — photoallergic contact reactions and benzophenone formation on storage — are risks and stability questions, not delayed benefits, so they do not shift this bucket.
US 21 CFR 201.327; EU Reg 1223/2009 Annex VI; ISO 24444:2019.
Light, and how to keep it
Octocrylene does not break down in light, which is worth saying because plenty of people assume it does.
So photostable it is the classic photostabilizer added to protect avobenzone; the filter-interaction literature studies it as the stabilizing partner.
PMID:20354650(abstract)
Plays well with
Octocrylene, answered
Is Octocrylene safe during pregnancy?
Clear it with your doctor first. Octocrylene is flagged as use-with-caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so check with your doctor or midwife before adding it.
Who should avoid Octocrylene?
Approach Octocrylene with care if any of these apply to you: very sensitive and fragrance allergy like. Its irritation risk is moderate, so introduce it slowly and patch test first.
What concentration of Octocrylene actually works?
Octocrylene tends to do its job in the 4 to 10% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Does Octocrylene break down in the light?
No, and it is worth saying because plenty of people assume it does. So photostable it is the classic photostabilizer added to protect avobenzone; the filter-interaction literature studies it as the stabilizing partner.
During pregnancy
Treat Octocrylene 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 Octocrylene with
Can you mix Octocrylene with
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