BENZOPHENONE-4
Benzophenone-4, also called sulisobenzone, is an organic compound in the benzophenone family. The name can appear in sunscreens and other cosmetics exposed to light; its structure contains a sulfonic group, a feature that distinguishes it from more oil-soluble benzophenones and helps explain its behavior in water-containing formulas.
BENZOPHENONE-4: what it is
Benzophenone-4, also called sulisobenzone, is an organic compound in the benzophenone family. The name can appear in sunscreens and other cosmetics exposed to light; its structure contains a sulfonic group, a feature that distinguishes it from more oil-soluble benzophenones and helps explain its behavior in water-containing formulas.
Sulisobenzone is not a plant extract or an oil. It is a defined chemical substance, also known as 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid. It should not be confused with benzophenone-3, another member of the same chemical family: they are different ingredients and are not interchangeable on an ingredient list.
BENZOPHENONE-4: what it does in cosmetics
Benzophenone-4 is used to absorb part of ultraviolet radiation when it is included in a formula designed as a UV filter. In sunscreen, that absorption contributes to the protection stated for the finished product; in other cosmetics, it can also help limit light-related changes in light-sensitive components of the formula itself.
A diffusion-cell study compared sulisobenzone in gel, emulsions, and petrolatum, finding that its release and skin permeation changed with the vehicle. This helps explain why texture and the full formulation matter, but it does not show that sulisobenzone alone treats dark spots, wrinkles, or any skin disease.
BENZOPHENONE-4: conditions and care
In the European Union, sulisobenzone and its sodium salt may be used as UV filters at a maximum concentration of 5% expressed as acid. This limit applies to the finished formula and the position of the name on an ingredient list does not reveal a product's concentration.
Restrictions and conditions of use
Products containing this ingredient
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