Reef-Safe & Ingredients
Oxybenzone vs avobenzone
Similar names, different filters, very different regulatory status. Here is what separates them.
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Oxybenzone and avobenzone are both chemical UV filters, and the similar names cause constant confusion. Avobenzone is the primary long-UVA filter in US sunscreens and is not restricted anywhere. Oxybenzone covers UVB and short UVA, is the filter most implicated in coral harm, is restricted in Hawaii, Key West and elsewhere, and is a recognized contact allergen. If you are avoiding one, it is oxybenzone.
| Oxybenzone | Avobenzone | |
|---|---|---|
| Also called | Benzophenone-3 | Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane |
| Protects against | UVB and short UVA | Long UVA — the main UVA filter in US products |
| Restricted by reef laws | Yes — Hawaii, Key West, USVI, Palau, Bonaire, Aruba | No |
| Contact allergen | Yes, a recognized one | Uncommon |
| Photostability | Reasonably stable | Poor alone; needs a stabilizer such as octocrylene |
| In FDA absorption studies | Yes, absorbed above the data threshold | Yes, absorbed above the data threshold |
| Common in | Older formulations, some drugstore products | Almost every broad-spectrum chemical sunscreen |
Why avobenzone is in almost everything
Because it is the workhorse. Very few filters available in the United States cover long UVA — the range most associated with photoaging — and avobenzone is the main one on the chemical side. Without it, a chemical sunscreen struggles to pass the broad-spectrum test.
Its weakness is photostability: avobenzone degrades in sunlight relatively quickly on its own. That is why it is almost always paired with octocrylene or another stabilizer, and why those combinations dominate the actives panels of US chemical sunscreens.
Why oxybenzone is the one that got restricted
Two separate strands, often conflated.
The environmental one. Laboratory research demonstrated that oxybenzone harms coral larvae and contributes to bleaching at measurable concentrations, which is what the reef legislation was built on. NOAA summarizes the research and its limits. Octinoxate is usually restricted alongside it.
The human one. Oxybenzone is a recognized contact allergen — a comparatively common cause of allergic reactions to sunscreen — and it showed the highest blood plasma concentrations in the FDA's absorption studies. That second point is a data gap rather than a demonstration of harm, and the FDA has been explicit that people should continue using sunscreen. Is sunscreen toxic works through it properly.
What about the rest of the actives panel?
| Filter | Covers | Restricted? | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avobenzone | Long UVA | No | Needs a stabilizer; the main chemical UVA filter |
| Oxybenzone | UVB, short UVA | Yes, widely | Contact allergen; highest absorption in FDA studies |
| Octinoxate | UVB | Yes, widely | Restricted alongside oxybenzone in most jurisdictions |
| Octocrylene | UVB, short UVA | In some places, including the USVI | Usually present to stabilize avobenzone |
| Homosalate | UVB | No | Included in the FDA request for more absorption data |
| Octisalate | UVB | No | Mild; often a supporting filter |
| Zinc oxide | UVB, UVA I and II | No | Proposed by the FDA as generally recognized as safe and effective |
| Titanium dioxide | UVB, short UVA | No | Proposed by the FDA as generally recognized as safe and effective |
If you are avoiding one of them
Avoiding oxybenzone is easy and costs you nothing: mineral sunscreens contain neither filter, and many chemical sunscreens have already reformulated away from oxybenzone in response to the restrictions and consumer demand. Our reef-safe picks are all mineral.
Avoiding avobenzone specifically is unusual and mostly relevant to people with a confirmed allergy. If you do avoid it, you are effectively choosing mineral, since avobenzone is the main chemical route to long-UVA coverage. That is a perfectly good outcome. Mineral versus chemical.
A note on names
Sunscreen filters carry several names each, which makes label reading harder than it needs to be. Oxybenzone appears as benzophenone-3 or BP-3. Avobenzone appears as butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane. Octinoxate appears as octyl methoxycinnamate or ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate. If a panel looks unfamiliar, it is often the same filters under chemical names. How to read a sunscreen label.
Sources
- Sunscreen chemicals and coral reefs — NOAA National Ocean Service
- Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use (proposed rule) — Federal Register / FDA
- Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Sunscreen FAQs — American Academy of Dermatology
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between oxybenzone and avobenzone?
Avobenzone is the main long-UVA filter in US sunscreens and is not restricted anywhere. Oxybenzone covers UVB and short UVA, is restricted by reef-protection laws in Hawaii, Key West and elsewhere, and is a recognized contact allergen.
Is avobenzone reef safe?
Avobenzone is not restricted by any current reef-protection law. The filters those laws target are oxybenzone and octinoxate, with octocrylene added in some jurisdictions such as the US Virgin Islands.
Why is oxybenzone banned?
Laboratory research showed it harms coral larvae and contributes to bleaching at measurable concentrations, which is the basis for the restrictions. Separately, it is a recognized contact allergen and showed the highest absorption in FDA plasma studies.
Is avobenzone safe?
It is widely used and is not a common allergen. It was included in the FDA absorption studies that found several chemical filters cross into the bloodstream above the threshold that triggers a request for more safety data — a data gap rather than a finding of harm.
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