Oxybenzone

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. Oxybenzone is used in cosmetics 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. For stabilizing purposes, smaller amounts are used compared to UV-absorbing purposes because its efficacy is achieved at lower concentrations. In our products, we use a small amount of oxybenzone as a stabilizer for very limited hair care and skin care products. On the ingredient labels, it is listed as “Oxybenzone” or “Benzophenone-3.”

There are concerns about the endocrine disruption effect of oxybenzone. However, in 2021, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) of the European Commission conducted a safety assessment of the use of oxybenzone in cosmetics and proposed a range of concentrations within which oxybenzone can be used safely.
There are also concerns that it may cause bleaching and other problems of corals in the ocean, and regulations banning sunscreens containing oxybenzone 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 a small amount of oxybenzone as a stabilizer in only a few products. 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.