Body & Beauty / Compounds / Octocrylene

Octocrylene on your skin: a safety profile

Moderate risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Octocrylene (CAS 6197-30-4) presents a more complex safety profile than most chemical UV filters due to its degradation to benzophenone (IARC Group 2B) in aged sunscreen formulations. Newly manufactured products contain octocrylene at label concentrations; with heat exposure and storage, benzophenone accumulates — a 2021 study found benzophenone concentrations in commercial sunscreens increasing from trace levels to >100 μg/g with storage. FDA Category III designation reflects insufficient safety data for GRASE determination; systemic absorption confirmed with blood concentrations exceeding FDA's review threshold. Estrogenic activity documented in vitro. No direct carcinogenicity classification for octocrylene itself. Major dermatological organizations continue to recommend use: the cancer-preventive benefit of sunscreen against UV radiation (IARC Group 1 carcinogen) significantly outweighs the theoretical risk from octocrylene at use concentrations. However, the benzophenone degradation issue argues for using sunscreens within their expiration dates and avoiding heat storage.

What is octocrylene?

The IUPAC name is 2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylprop-2-enoate.

Also known as: 2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylprop-2-enoate, 2-Ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylacrylate, Octocrilene, 2-Propenoic acid, 2-cyano-3,3-diphenyl-, 2-ethylhexyl ester.

IUPAC name
2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylprop-2-enoate
CAS number
6197-30-4
Molecular formula
C24H27NO2
Molecular weight
361.5 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCC(CC)COC(=O)C(=C(C1=CC=CC=C1)C2=CC=CC=C2)C#N
PubChem CID
22571

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Octocrylene (CAS 6197-30-4) presents a more complex safety profile than most chemical UV filters due to its degradation to benzophenone (IARC Group 2B) in aged sunscreen formulations. Newly manufactured products contain octocrylene at label concentrations; with heat exposure and storage, benzophenone accumulates — a 2021 study found benzophenone concentrations in commercial sunscreens increasing from trace levels to >100 μg/g with storage. FDA Category III designation reflects insufficient safety data for GRASE determination; systemic absorption confirmed with blood concentrations exceeding FDA's review threshold. Estrogenic activity documented in vitro. No direct carcinogenicity classification for octocrylene itself. Major dermatological organizations continue to recommend use: the cancer-preventive benefit of sunscreen against UV radiation (IARC Group 1 carcinogen) significantly outweighs the theoretical risk from octocrylene at use concentrations. However, the benzophenone degradation issue argues for using sunscreens within their expiration dates and avoiding heat storage.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Octocrylene. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
WHO2021no carcinogenicity classification; UV sunscreen filter; FDA Category III (insufficient data for GRASE pending additional safety studies); notable for degradation to benzophenone (IARC Group 2B) in stored sunscreen formulations
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 0 positive / 7 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 0 positive / 7 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter octocrylene

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles
  • Personal Care — sunscreen, moisturizer with SPF, foundation, lip balm

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Octocrylene:

  • Fragrance-free formulations
    Trade-offs: Consumer preference for scented products
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Essential oil-based fragrances (with disclosure)
    Trade-offs: Natural does not mean safe — many essential oils are skin sensitizers
    Relative cost: 2-5×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain octocrylene?

Octocrylene appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments); sunscreen (Personal care).

Why do regulators disagree about octocrylene?

Octocrylene has been classified by 3 agencies including WHO, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Octocrylene in the body app

Look up products containing octocrylene, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (2)
  1. FDA 2019 OTC Sunscreen Proposed Rule: Octocrylene Category III; Systemic Absorption >0.5 ng/mL; Estrogenic Activity; Benzophenone Degradation in Aged Formulations; log Kow 6.1 Lipophilic Accumulation (2019) — regulatory
  2. Octocrylene Degrades to Benzophenone (IARC 2B) in Stored Sunscreen Products: Commercial Product Analysis 2021; Concentration Increases with Storage Temperature and Age; Palau Key West Reef Protection Restrictions (2021) — scientific

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →