---
title: Avobenzone
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---

# Avobenzone

## Quick Summary

Avobenzone is a chemical (organic) sunscreen filter and is the principal UVA-absorbing chemical filter approved for use in US-marketed sunscreens. It is widely used in modern broad-spectrum facial sunscreens — both fully chemical and hybrid (mineral-plus-chemical) formulas — and is most often paired with stabilizing co-filters and additional UVB filters to deliver a cosmetic-appearance-friendly daily-wear finish that applies more transparently than non-tinted mineral-only formulas.

## What It Is

Avobenzone is an organic (carbon-based) molecule that, in a sunscreen formula, absorbs incoming UV energy. In US-marketed sunscreens it appears in the "Drug Facts" Active Ingredients block as Avobenzone with a percentage by weight (commonly in the low single digits, typically 2–3%).

In leave-on cosmetic facial sunscreens, Avobenzone is most often paired with stabilizing chemical co-filters (most commonly Octocrylene) and with additional UVB-focused filters; in modern hybrid formulations it can also appear alongside mineral filters such as Zinc Oxide, expanding the UVA range covered while preserving a more transparent finish.

## Mechanism

In FDA sunscreen labeling and patient-facing dermatology references, Avobenzone is described as the primary UVA-absorbing chemical filter approved for US sunscreens. It absorbs UV photons and dissipates that energy before it reaches living layers of skin. Avobenzone's UVA absorption shifts and weakens over time when exposed to sunlight on its own, which is why most modern broad-spectrum chemical and hybrid sunscreens pair Avobenzone with stabilizers (commonly Octocrylene) so that the UVA protection holds across the labeled wear window.

The cosmetic-appearance implication for daily wear: a broad-spectrum chemical or hybrid sunscreen built on stabilized Avobenzone is one of the more cosmetically forgiving daily-wear formats, applying more transparently than non-tinted mineral-only formulas — particularly relevant for deeper skin tones where mineral white cast is the most common adherence blocker.

## Related Entities

- [FDA — Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun](https://skinknowledgebase.com/sources/fda-sunscreen-how-to-protect-skin)
- [FDA — Sun Protection Factor (SPF)](https://skinknowledgebase.com/sources/fda-sun-protection-factor)
- [FDA — Q&A: New Requirements for OTC Sunscreen Products Marketed in the U.S.](https://skinknowledgebase.com/sources/fda-otc-sunscreen-qa)
- [American Academy of Dermatology — Sunscreen FAQs](https://skinknowledgebase.com/sources/aad-sunscreen-faqs)
- [Skin Cancer Foundation — Sunscreen](https://skinknowledgebase.com/sources/skin-cancer-foundation-sunscreen)
- [Skin Cancer Foundation — Sun Protection](https://skinknowledgebase.com/sources/skin-cancer-foundation-sun-protection)
- [CDC — Sun Safety Facts](https://skinknowledgebase.com/sources/cdc-sun-safety-facts)
- [Sun Damage](https://skinknowledgebase.com/concerns/sun-damage)
- [Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50](https://skinknowledgebase.com/products/supergoop-unseen-sunscreen-spf-50)
- [Photoallergic Contact Dermatitis from UV Filters](https://skinknowledgebase.com/side-effects/photoallergic-contact-dermatitis-uv-filters)