Is oxybenzone safe? Where it's allowed, what regulators are reviewing, and the reef rules
Where oxybenzone is allowed
United States
Permitted with conditionsOxybenzone can currently be used in over-the-counter sunscreens under the 'deemed final order' created by the 2020 CARES Act, which follows the 1999 monograph (up to 6 percent). In a September 2021 proposed order the FDA said there are not enough data to find sunscreens containing it 'generally recognized as safe and effective' (GRASE), proposing only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as GRASE. The FDA states this is not a conclusion that these ingredients are unsafe. On 10 September 2026 the FDA finalised only the proposal to remove PABA and trolamine salicylate, and said the other proposals, including the one on oxybenzone, will be addressed in future orders; as of that page, the oxybenzone proposal had not been finalised. [1, 2]
Canada
Permitted with conditionsSunscreens with chemical filters such as oxybenzone are classed as non-prescription drugs in Canada and carry a drug identification number (DIN). Health Canada's Primary Sunscreen Monograph (version dated 27 February 2026) lists oxybenzone, also called benzophenone-3, as a permitted medicinal ingredient at up to 6%. Oxybenzone is not on Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (page updated August 2025). [3, 4, 5]
European Union
Permitted with conditionsAnnex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2022/1176, allows benzophenone-3 as a UV filter at up to 6% in face, hand and lip products (excluding propellant and pump sprays), 2.2% in body products including propellant and pump sprays, and 0.5% in other products. In the first two groups, up to 0.5% may also be used to protect the product formulation, but if it is, the UV-filter level must not exceed 5.5% (face, hand, lip) or 1.7% (body). Those products must be labelled 'Contains Benzophenone-3', except where it is at 0.5% or less and used only for product protection. The consolidated text of 18 May 2026 still shows this entry unchanged. Products meeting the older rules could be placed on the market until 28 January 2023 and made available until 28 July 2023. [6, 7, 9]
What is oxybenzone?
Oxybenzone, listed as benzophenone-3 (BP-3) in cosmetic ingredient names, is an organic ('chemical') UV filter: it absorbs ultraviolet light rather than reflecting it the way zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do. The FDA describes it as covering both UVA and UVB, and says it largely replaced PABA in sunscreens once PABA was found to cause contact allergic reactions.
Beyond sunscreens, the FDA notes it is used in perfumes, lipsticks, hair sprays and conditioners as a photostabilizer or fragrance enhancer.
Why it's used, and where you'll find it
Its broad UV absorption makes it a useful active ingredient in chemical sunscreens. In the EU it can also be used at up to 0.5% simply to protect a cosmetic formula, a separate role from its job as a UV filter.
What the research and regulators say
How much gets through the skin
In its 2021 proposed order the FDA said studies indicate oxybenzone is absorbed through the skin and can lead to significant systemic exposure, citing data showing it in human breast milk, amniotic fluid, urine and blood plasma. The FDA said it lacks studies of absorption under maximal use, of developmental, reproductive and endocrine effects, and of carcinogenicity, and it raised questions about use in young children, who may absorb and accumulate more. It also said the proposal is not a conclusion that the ingredients are unsafe. Health Canada's sun-safety page relays the FDA's statement, made about its studies of how common sunscreen ingredients are absorbed, that absorption does not by itself equal risk and that people should not stop using sunscreen; Health Canada says it reviewed these findings and agrees with the FDA. [1, 2, 4]
What EU scientists said about hormone effects
In a 2021 opinion the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) called the evidence for endocrine-disrupting properties of benzophenone-3 'inconclusive, and at best equivocal'. Results were contradictory, lacked a clear dose-response, or appeared only at doses far beyond human exposure, so it could not say whether it is an endocrine disruptor. Taking those concerns into account, its safety calculations found 6% not safe in sunscreens used as body cream or sprays, but found 2.2% in body creams and sprays (1.7% if 0.5% is also used to protect the formula), and 6% in face cream, hand cream and lipstick, safe. The European Commission then restricted the concentrations accordingly in Regulation (EU) 2022/1176. [6, 7]
Skin allergy
The FDA's proposed order also says evidence shows oxybenzone has contact allergenic and photoallergenic potential, meaning some people can react on skin or on sun-exposed skin. [1]
Coral reefs and Hawaii's law
Hawaii's Act 104 of 2018 records the legislature's finding that oxybenzone and octinoxate harm the marine environment, including causing mortality in developing coral, increasing bleaching and damaging coral DNA. From 1 January 2021 it made it unlawful to sell, offer for sale or distribute for sale in Hawaii any sunscreen containing either without a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. The Act defines 'sunscreen' as a product intended to prevent sunburn and excludes products marketed as cosmetics for the face. These are the legislature's findings; other destinations have their own rules, so check local guidance before you travel. [8]
Who might choose to avoid it
Anyone who has had a skin or sun-triggered reaction to a sunscreen containing oxybenzone may want to avoid it, given the FDA's note on contact and photoallergenic potential. The FDA has also raised questions about young children, who may absorb and accumulate more. Some people choose mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the two ingredients the FDA proposed as GRASE in 2021).
How to spot it on a label
On a sunscreen, oxybenzone appears in the 'Drug Facts' active ingredients box with a percentage. In cosmetics ingredient lists it is 'Benzophenone-3', and EU labels say 'Contains Benzophenone-3'. It is a different ingredient from octinoxate, avobenzone and plain 'benzophenone'. Front-of-bottle claims such as 'reef friendly' do not replace checking the ingredient list.
Check what's in your own productsScan a barcode or a label photo and Label X-Ray flags oxybenzone and everything else in plain English, with your allergies checked automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Is oxybenzone banned?
Not nationwide in the US, Canada or the EU. Hawaii has prohibited selling sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate without a prescription since 1 January 2021, and the EU caps its concentration by product type.
Is oxybenzone banned in Europe?
No, but it is limited: up to 6% in face, hand and lip products (excluding sprays), 2.2% in body products including sprays, and 0.5% in other products, with a 'Contains Benzophenone-3' label required for the first two groups unless it is used only to protect the product at 0.5% or less.
Is oxybenzone banned in Canada?
No. Health Canada's Primary Sunscreen Monograph lists oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) as a permitted medicinal ingredient at up to 6%.
Is oxybenzone safe?
The FDA says more data are needed before it can be considered generally recognized as safe and effective, but stresses this is not a finding that it is unsafe. The EU's scientific committee called the hormone evidence inconclusive yet lowered the allowed level for body sunscreens. Health Canada agrees with the FDA that people should not stop using sunscreen.
Is oxybenzone safe for coral reefs?
Hawaii's legislature found in 2018 that oxybenzone and octinoxate harm coral and marine life, and banned sales of sunscreens containing them without a prescription from 2021. That is the legislature's finding; the FDA and EU assessments cited here cover human health, not reefs.
Related ingredients
Sources
- U.S. FDA — Proposed Order (OTC000008): Amending Over-the-Counter Monograph M020, Sunscreen Drug Products for OTC Human Use (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — Questions and Answers: FDA's regulatory actions on over-the-counter sunscreen (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Health Canada — Primary Sunscreen Monograph (2026-02-27) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Health Canada — Sunscreens (Sun safety) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Health Canada — Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist (accessed 2026-09-19)
- EUR-Lex (European Union) — Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1176 of 7 July 2022 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as regards the use of certain UV filters in cosmetic products (accessed 2026-09-19)
- SCCS (European Commission) — Opinion on Benzophenone-3 (CAS No 131-57-7, EC No 205-031-5), SCCS/1625/20 final version (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Hawaii State Legislature — Act 104 (S.B. 2571, 2018): A Bill for an Act Relating to Water Pollution (accessed 2026-09-19)
- EUR-Lex (European Union) — Consolidated text: Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products (version of 18 May 2026), Annex VI, entry 4 (accessed 2026-09-19)
This page summarizes what regulators and published research say, as of the review date above. Rules and evidence change; check the linked sources for the latest. It is general information, not medical advice — talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.