Octinoxate

Cosmetics and personal care products containing UV filters are used worldwide to protect skin from UV rays, which is one of the factors that cause skin cancer and skin aging, and to maintain skin health. Octinoxate is used in cosmetics and personal care products as a UV absorber to protect the skin from UV rays and as a stabilizer to prevent deterioration of product quality due to UV exposure. In our products, it is used in sunscreens, skin care products, makeup products, hair care products, and so on. On the ingredient labels, it is listed as “Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate” or “Octinoxate.”

Octinoxate is suspected to be a possible endocrine disruptor, and further safety assessment is ongoing in Europe. On the other hand, the safety of octinoxate has been evaluated by scientific agencies affiliated with regulatory authorities in many countries and regions. Based on the results of these evaluations, octinoxate has been approved for use in cosmetics, personal care products, and OTC drugs in various countries and regions around the world, provided that it is not used in the products beyond the upper concentration limits as specified in laws and regulations.
Further, there are also concerns that it may cause bleaching and other problems of corals in the ocean, and regulations banning sunscreens containing octinoxate have been adopted in the state of Hawaii, Palau, Thailand’s national parks, and some other areas. On the other hand, it is thought that the main causes of coral growth inhibition and bleaching are ocean warming and acidification caused by climate change. Research and discussions on the impact on coral reefs are still ongoing.

Kao complies with the laws and regulations of all countries and regions in which we operate. Additionally, we conduct rigorous safety assessments and perform a wide range of product-use tests based on the Kao Safety Standards^* , so that you can use our products safely. Through these measures, we use an appropriate amount of octinoxate in our products. We offer octinoxate-free sunscreen products for those who prefer them. We continuously explore new scientific findings relevant to the ingredients we use and review the safety of our in-market products. We are committed to continuing to develop our products for a better customer experience and increased product safety.