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Other Ingredients

Avobenzone

Also known as: Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, Parsol 1789, BMDBM

The only true UVA filter in most US sunscreens — excellent long-wave protection, famously unstable unless stabilized.

  • By IngredientWiki Editorial Team
  • Fact-checked by IngredientWiki Editorial Team
  • Updated 2026-09-26
  • 2 min read

In short

Avobenzone (butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane) is the only organic UVA-filtering active approved in the US that provides strong long-wave UVA protection — the wavelengths that drive photoaging and contribute to skin cancer. That makes it the backbone of 'broad-spectrum' American sunscreens. Its weakness is photostability: avobenzone degrades in sunlight, losing up to half its protection within an hour unless stabilized — which is why formulations pair it with octocrylene, oxybenzone, or stabilizers. It is well tolerated by most skin, with low sensitization, though occasional photoallergy reports exist. Sunscreen formulators respect it; sunscreen skeptics misunderstand it.

  • Primary US organic UVA filter (Parsol 1789)
  • Absorbs 320–400 nm — the photoaging UVA band
  • Unstable alone; must be stabilized (octocrylene, etc.)
  • Low sensitization; rare photoallergy reports

What is Avobenzone?

Avobenzone does the job most American sunscreens would otherwise skip: blocking the long UVA wavelengths that tan, age, and quietly damage skin. Before it arrived in the 1980s, US sunscreens were mostly UVB shields — sunburn protection without photoaging protection. Avobenzone changed that equation and remains the dominant US organic UVA filter, though its chemistry demands care: exposed to sunlight, the molecule degrades, which is why good formulations stabilize it with partners. Understanding avobenzone is understanding why broad-spectrum labels are not all created equal.

Where it comes from

Natural sources

  • Fully synthetic dibenzoylmethane derivative, introduced as Parsol 1789 in 1981

How it's made

Used at 2–3% in sunscreens, almost always with photostabilizers (octocrylene, oxybenzone, or encapsulated forms).

What it does in products

  • UVA absorption (320–400 nm)
  • Broad-spectrum protection in combination with UVB filters
  • Photoaging and UVA-induced damage protection

Benefits

Strong UVA protection

strong evidence

Covers the long-wave UVA band better than most approved organic filters — the wavelengths most implicated in photoaging.

Broad-spectrum coverage

strong evidence

Combined with UVB filters, delivers the balanced protection that 'broad-spectrum' labeling requires — the basis of modern photoprotection.

Good tolerability

strong evidence

Low irritancy and sensitization rates; suitable for most skin types when stabilized formulations are used.

Side effects & safety

Photoallergic contact dermatitis (rare)Documented but uncommon; more frequent with older unstabilized formulations.
Eye stinging with heavy application (uncommon)Common to chemical sunscreens generally.

Safety considerations

  • FDA monograph position considers it safe; limited absorption of the intact molecule.
  • None significant.
  • Not for: Confirmed photoallergy to avobenzone

How it's used

In supplements

Not an oral ingredient.

In skincare

2–3% in sunscreen formulas, always with stabilizers; reapply per label (every 2 hours of exposure).

Regulatory status

  • FDA-approved OTC sunscreen active (up to 3%); included in the FDA sunscreen monograph.
  • INCI name on cosmetic labels: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.
  • Not a cosmetic ingredient in the usual sense; regulated as an OTC drug active.

Popular products containing Avobenzone

  • Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 55 — Avobenzone-stabilized broad-spectrumNeutrogena · OTC drug
  • La Roche-Posay Anthelios (US formulas) — Avobenzone with stabilizing partnersLa Roche-Posay · OTC drug
  • Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen — Avobenzone-based clear formulaSupergoop! · OTC drug

Product names and brands are shown for reference and belong to their respective owners.

The photostability problem

Bare avobenzone absorbs UVA photons and degrades — studies show significant protection loss within 30–60 minutes of sun exposure. Formulators solve this by pairing it with octocrylene (which quenches its excited state), oxybenzone, or encapsulation technologies. A stabilized avobenzone formula holds protection through hours of sun; a cheap, unstabilized one quietly fails.

US vs global UVA filters

Europe and Asia allow newer UVA filters (Tinosorb S/M, Mexoryl SX) that are more photostable; the FDA has not approved them, leaving avobenzone as the main US organic UVA option. This regulatory gap — not chemistry — is why American 'broad spectrum' claims lean so heavily on avobenzone.

Frequently asked questions

Does avobenzone degrade in sunlight?

Alone, yes — up to 50% within an hour. Well-formulated sunscreens stabilize it with octocrylene or encapsulation, preserving protection through reapplication intervals.

Is avobenzone the same as oxybenzone?

No — avobenzone is the UVA filter; oxybenzone covers UVB plus short UVA and often stabilizes avobenzone. Many US broad-spectrum formulas contain both.

Why do some sunscreens stain clothes orange with avobenzone?

Avobenzone can complex with iron in hard water, leaving rust-like stains — a cosmetic nuisance, not a safety issue. Chelators in modern formulas reduce it.

The bottom line

Avobenzone is the essential — if temperamental — UVA workhorse of American sunscreen, best appreciated in stabilized formulations that preserve its protection.

References

  1. Photostability of sunscreen UV filters. PubMed Central. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29424893/
  2. Sunscreen active ingredients — FDA. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/understanding-over-counter-medicines/sunscreen-how-help-protect-your-skin-sun
  3. Avobenzone: chemistry and stabilization. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28957090/