Ingredient glossary / UV filter
Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3)
On the label: Oxybenzone · UV filter
What it is
A chemical UVA/UVB filter. Allowed in the US; restricted in Hawaii and some other places over reef concerns, and the FDA has asked makers for more safety data.
UV filters: UV filters absorb or scatter ultraviolet light; the working part of a sunscreen. In the US they are regulated as over-the-counter drugs.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q518114 →
In the research
197 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Modeling to Predict Pharmacokinetic Endpoints of a Sunscreen Lotion Containing Oxybenzone · AAPS PharmSciTech, 2026
- Risk assessment of benzophenone-3, a UV filter in cosmetics · Toxicological research, 2026
- Interfacial Engineering of Clay-Based Nanohybrids with pH-Responsive Network-like Behavior for Hair Photoprotection and Algal Growth Promotion · Gels (Basel, Switzerland), 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other uv filters
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.