Avobenzone is an oil-soluble ingredient used in sunscreen products to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays.
Avobenzone, a petroleum-based sunscreen active ingredient, is not generally recognised as safe and effective by the FDA. A recent study at Lomonosov Moscow State University found that chlorinated water and ultraviolet light can cause avobenzone to disintegrate into various other organic compounds, including; aromatic acids, aldehydes, phenols, and acetophenones which can cause adverse health effects.
Avobenzone is an organic molecule and an oil-soluble ingredient used in sunscreen products to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays, which are a type of ultraviolet radiation that can penetrate deep into the skin and contribute to premature aging and skin cancer.
It is not soluble in water and is a dibenzoylmethane derivative. Avobenzone exists in the ground state as a mixture of the enol and keto forms, favoring the chelated enol. This enol form is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen-bonding within the β-diketone. Its ability to absorb ultraviolet light over a wider range of wavelengths than many other sunscreen agents has led to its use in many commercial preparations marketed as "broad spectrum" sunscreens. Avobenzone has an absorption maximum of 357 nm.
Here are some additional details about avobenzone:
- Chemical formula: C20H22O3
- Molar mass: 310.39 g/mol
- Appearance: colorless crystal
- CAS number: 70356-09-1