ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE, also known as octinoxate, is an organic compound used in cosmetics that need to filter ultraviolet radiation. It is therefore commonly found on the ingredient lists of sunscreens and other products designed for sun exposure.
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE: what it is
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE, also known as octinoxate, is an organic compound used in cosmetics that need to filter ultraviolet radiation. It is therefore commonly found on the ingredient lists of sunscreens and other products designed for sun exposure.
Chemically, it is an ester made from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and methoxycinnamic acid. Octinoxate is the more familiar name for the same substance outside an ingredient list; octyl methoxycinnamate may also appear in technical and scientific writing.
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE: what it does in cosmetics
In sunscreen, octinoxate works as a UV absorber and filter: it takes up part of that radiation so the formula can provide the protection it was designed to deliver. Its presence alone does not indicate the finished product's protection factor or the breadth of its protection.
A mechanistic study in keratinocytes and mouse skin investigated changes in cell signalling with octinoxate and another experimental compound. It did not test the effectiveness of a cosmetic product in people, so it does not demonstrate a skin-treatment benefit.
ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE: conditions and care
In the European Union, octinoxate is listed as a permitted UV filter at a maximum concentration of 10% in the ready-to-use product.
Restrictions and conditions of use
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
