Don’t take our word for it. Here’s every fact on this site, with its evidence grade, its caveats, and a link to the source, so you can check us.
We start you on the strong ones: findings that have been replicated or come from one large, well-controlled study. Moderate and weak facts are here too, labeled for what they are. Use “Link to this fact” to share a single card.
Laws and loopholes / Review of other studies
Octocrylene, which sunscreen manufacturers adopted as an alternative after bans on oxybenzone in reef-protective jurisdictions (Hawaii, Key West Florida, Bonaire, Aruba, Palau, US Virgin Islands), is itself contaminated with benzophenone during manufacture and cannot be fully purified of it; it also undergoes a slow retro-aldol condensation reaction in the finished product that continuously regenerates more benzophenone as the sunscreen ages.
Moderate evidence: The underlying primary (Downs et al. 2021a) is not yet a evidence base source; treat the aging/regeneration mechanism as reported by this review pending that primary.
Source: Hodge 2025, Marine Pollution Bulletin Link to this fact
Laws and loopholes / Government agency
As of 2019, FDA's own proposed sunscreen rule found insufficient data to confirm avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene as 'generally recognized as safe and effective' sunscreen actives — of 16 monograph ingredients, only the mineral filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide had cleared that bar — while the codified US sunscreen regulation (21 CFR Part 352) still lists all of them as permitted, and that Part has carried a 'stayed indefinitely' notice since 2003-2004.
Moderate evidence.
Caveats
Reflects the regulatory status as of the 2019 trial and the 2023 CFR codification captured in this evidence base; a finalized monograph rule issued after either date would supersede this.
Source: Matta 2019, JAMA Link to this fact
Laws and loopholes / Other evidence
EU limits on benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone) as a UV filter: 6% in face, hand and lip products (not sprays), 2.2% in body products including propellant and pump sprays, 0.5% in other products; octocrylene 9% in propellant sprays and 10% in other products.
Moderate evidence: Secondary summary by a regulatory consultancy (Obelis); cite the Regulation itself for these numbers.
Source: COSlaw.eu (Obelis) 2022, UV filters news Industry-funded Link to this fact
Information, not medical advice. See also: myths we won’t tell you.