Does avobenzone work as well as titanium dioxide?
Avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789 and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane) is capable of screening UVA radiation up to 400 nanometers, which is enough to protect skin from up to 98% of UVA rays. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide can screen up to 700 nanometers, but this amount of radiation does not affect us, so in the end, all three come out as equal. In the U.S., only four sunscreen ingredients have been widely approved as effective against UVA radiation. They are titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789 and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane). The FDA approved Mexoryl SX (also called ecamsule) in July 2006 for use in one sunscreen product sold in the U.S., Anthelios SX SPF 15 by L’Oreal-owned La Roche-Posay. You only need to have one of these in the active ingredients list. Outside of the U.S., the UVA-protecting ingredients Mexoryl SX and Tinosorb (not approved in the U.S.) are often used. (For more information on sunscreens, please see Sun Essentials).
