Avobenzone

Avobenzone (CAS 70356-09-1), also marketed as Parsol 1789 and Escalol 517, is a UVA-absorbing active used across suncare, personal care, and industrial UV protection applications.

It provides broad-spectrum UVA coverage in the 320–400 nm range, making it one of the most specified UVA filters in regulated markets globally for various consumer and industrial goods.

In sunscreen and daily-wear cosmetic formulations, it is the primary UVA active, often combined with UVB filters to achieve broad-spectrum compliance under FDA OTC monograph or EU cosmetic regulations.

Coatings and polymer formulators incorporate it to protect substrates, including plastics, adhesives, and sealants, from UVA-induced degradation and discoloration during outdoor exposure and high UV stress.

In personal care beyond suncare, it appears in moisturizers, lip products, and foundations where incidental UVA protection is a formulation requirement for daily skin health and product stability.

Stabilizer packages frequently pair it with photostabilizers such as Tinosorb S or octocrylene to counter its known photodegradation in finished products and ensure long-lasting efficacy for the user.

The material is supplied as a pale yellow to off-white crystalline powder. Standard grades include cosmetic-grade material meeting USP and Ph.Eur. specifications for global compliance.

Technical-grade material is also available for industrial coating and polymer applications. Minimum purity is typically 97% or higher across commercial grades to ensure consistent performance.