UV filters are the active ingredients in sunscreens – the components that shield our skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These essential ingredients help prevent sunburn, premature ageing, and the long-term risk of skin cancer. UV filters are crucial in helping to protect the skin from damage – but they must also be proven safe.
Are UV filters safe to use in cosmetics?
Yes. UV filters used in UK and EU sunscreens must be approved according to processes under the strict cosmetics legislation before they are allowed to be used. Before they can be included in a product, each one is assessed by an independent scientific committee which reviews all safety data, including potential risks like skin irritation, systemic absorption, and long-term exposure.
Only filters that meet these rigorous safety standards are allowed. This means that all UV filters used in sunscreens on sale in the UK and EU have been thoroughly reviewed and are considered safe when used as directed.
Do UV filters disrupt hormones?
Some concern has been raised over whether certain UV filters, like oxybenzone (benzophenone-3), can act as endocrine disruptors – chemicals that interfere with our hormone systems. While laboratory tests can show that substances have very weak oestrogen-like activity, this certainly doesn’t mean they have an effect on the body’s endocrine system in real-world use. This has been thoroughly investigated for benzophenone-3 by a panel of independent scientists, who analysed all the endocrine information in detail, and confirmed that benzophenone-3 is safe in cosmetic products.
Scientific assessments show that any such activity in UV filters is extremely weak – millions of times weaker than natural oestrogen. Furthermore, these substances are used in tiny amounts in cosmetics, and are either not absorbed or are quickly broken down in the body.
So, even in theory, UV filters used in cosmetics cannot disrupt the hormone system at the levels used in sunscreens.
Can UV filters harm the environment?
The deterioration of coral reefs around the world is a major concern and the cosmetics industry takes this concern very seriously.
Governmental agencies, environmental organisations, and leading academics all agree that rising sea temperatures from global warming is the primary cause of coral bleaching. These include the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Centre and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).
Legislation banning oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) in certain regions of the world is based on a 2016 study (Downs et al)* with significant technical flaws. This study was carried out in a laboratory and is not representative of what is happening in nature. For example, extremely high concentrations were used which are not found in the sea from typical sunscreen use. A non-standardised, non-validated methodology was used; conclusions were based on one, unreplicated, concentration of oxybenzone in Hawaii. Furthermore, the study does not, and cannot, make a link between the use of UV filters in sun cream and damage to coral in our seas.
* C A Downs 1, Esti Kramarsky-Winter, Roee Segal, John Fauth, Sean Knutson, Omri Bronstein, Frederic R Ciner, Rina Jeger, Yona Lichtenfeld, Cheryl M Woodley, Paul Pennington, Kelli Cadenas, Ariel Kushmaro, Yossi Loya, Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter, Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells and Its Environmental Contamination in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 2016 Feb - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26487337/.
Since the publication of the above-mentioned study, more research on this matter has been carried out, by the cosmetics industry and other parties. The new research highlights that there is the need for a standardised method to investigate the impact of UV filters on coral, as results from existing studies are not consistent and are not reproducible in many cases.
However, the cosmetics industry is committed to ensuring that our ingredients are safe for the environment as well as for our health, so is actively contributing to the science around coral reef exposure to UV filters.
The bottom line
Sunscreens – and the UV filters they contain – are one of the most studied and regulated categories of cosmetics. The UV filters approved for use in the UK and EU are safe and effective when used as intended. They are a vital part of protecting your skin from UV damage – and using them regularly is one of the best things you can do for your long-term skin health.
Read more about sunscreens.
