4-MBC in Sunscreen: Restricted or Not Permitted in 109 Countries and Territories

Direct Answer

4-MBC, also called enzacamene, is a synthetic UV filter that has appeared in sunscreens for decades. The Australian Sunscreen Council counts 109 jurisdictions worldwide that prohibit, restrict or do not permit it. Australia permits it in sunscreens at up to 4 per cent. Regulators acting overseas have cited endocrine-disrupting activity, meaning interference with the body's hormone pathways, in particular thyroid and oestrogen. In Australia the TGA's review of 4-MBC is open; the regulator states that it is reviewing the ingredient and has yet to make a recommendation, and that the outcome will be published when finalised (TGA, 2026). On a label it appears as 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor or Enzacamene. Sun protection remains essential at every age; the question this raises is which filter, not whether to use one.

What is 4-MBC?

4-MBC, short for 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and also sold as enzacamene, is a synthetic chemical UV filter used in sunscreens for decades. It works by absorbing into the skin and converting UVB radiation, the part of the spectrum responsible for sunburn, into heat. That absorption is what sets it apart from a mineral filter such as zinc oxide, which stays on the surface and reflects UV away instead of being taken in.

Where it Stands, Country by Country

• European Union: moved to the list of prohibited substances under Regulation (EU) 2024/996, with all products off shelves by 1 May 2026

• United Kingdom: prohibited in 2026, following a parallel safety finding

• China: prohibited in January 2026

• United States: never approved as a sunscreen active

• Japan: never approved as a sunscreen active

• Denmark: removed from cosmetics around twenty-five years ago.

  
  

Counting outright bans alongside countries that automatically follow overseas rules or leave it off their approved lists, the Australian Sunscreen Council puts the global total at 109 jurisdictions, made up of 78 nations and 31 overseas territories.

Australia sits outside that pattern. The TGA permits 4-MBC in therapeutic sunscreens at up to 4 per cent. The regulator has confirmed that its review of the ingredient is under way and that no recommendation has been made, with the outcome to be published once finalised (TGA, 2026).

Why Regulators Moved: the Endocrine Evidence

The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety reassessed 4-MBC and published its final opinion in 2022 (SCCS/1640/21). The Committee was unable to conclude on the safety of 4-MBC and found that use at 4 per cent would not be safe, citing endocrine-disrupting activity affecting thyroid and oestrogen pathways, dermal absorption, and insufficient data to conclude on genotoxicity. The evidence the Committee considered included animal studies reporting reproductive and developmental effects.

Why Children Specifically

Children's skin raises two specific concerns when it comes to 4-MBC. Their skin is thinner and more permeable than an adult's, and because children are small, they carry a higher ratio of skin surface to body weight, so a correctly applied layer of sunscreen delivers a proportionally larger dose to their body than the same layer would to an adult. Because 4-MBC is a chemical filter that is absorbed rather than resting on the surface, that dose enters the body. It has been detected in human breast milk, in research that linked its presence to mothers' own use of sunscreen and cosmetics (Schlumpf et al., 2010). On that early evidence, Danish authorities advised as far back as 2001 that sunscreens containing 4-MBC should not be used on children under twelve.

4-MBC appears on the ingredient panel of a range of sunscreen products on sale in Australia. Whether a particular product contains it can be checked against the active ingredients listed on the pack.

A Different Filter Profile

Where a chemical filter such as 4-MBC has to be absorbed to work, zinc oxide takes the opposite approach: it is a mineral filter that sits on the surface of the skin and attenuates the ultraviolet light. In the FDA’s proposed sunscreen monograph, zinc oxide is placed in Category I, meaning the available record supports a determination that it is generally recognised as safe and effective; that order remains in proposed form. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology both identify mineral filters in their published guidance for young children. For infants under six months, both the FDA and the AAP advise shade, clothing and hats rather than routine sunscreen use, whatever the filter. It is also the mineral that has been the active in nappy rash creams for generations, a long record of use on children and infant skin. It is effective from the moment it is applied rather than requiring time to absorb. A repeated-application volunteer study reported that zinc oxide nanoparticle formulations did not penetrate into viable skin tissue (Mohammed et al., 2019); that study did not test non-nano zinc oxide. On an ingredients panel it is listed simply as zinc oxide, ideally non-nano, while 4-MBC appears as 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor or Enzacamene. Sun protection remains essential at every age, alongside shade, clothing and hats.

Technical Summary

4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC, enzacamene; CAS 36861-47-9) is a synthetic UVB filter. The EU SCCS final opinion (SCCS/1640/21, 2022) concluded it could not be considered safe at the maximum 4 percent concentration and found sufficient evidence of endocrine activity affecting the thyroid and estrogen systems. It is prohibited in the EU under Regulation (EU) 2024/996, with full withdrawal by 1 May 2026, prohibited in the United Kingdom and China in 2026, and not approved in the United States or Japan. It has been detected in human breast milk in association with maternal sunscreen use (Schlumpf et al., 2010). In Australia it remains permitted at up to 4 per cent. The TGA has confirmed that its review of 4-MBC is under way, that no recommendation has yet been made, and that the outcome will be published when finalised (TGA, 2026).

Zinc oxide is a mineral broad-spectrum filter covering UVB, UVA2 and UVA1, and is the only mineral UV filter that independently achieves true broad-spectrum protection, including deep UVA1 wavelengths, without requiring combination with another active ingredient (Beasley and Meyer, 2010). It is placed in Category I in the FDA’s proposed sunscreen monograph, which remains in proposed form (FDA, 2021). A repeated-application volunteer study reported that zinc oxide nanoparticle formulations did not penetrate into viable skin tissue (Mohammed et al., 2019); that study did not test non-nano zinc oxide specifically. Sunscreen is one component of sun protection alongside shade, clothing and hats; prolonged high-risk sun exposure should be avoided, and frequent reapplication in accordance with the directions for use is required for effective protection.

References

Australian Sunscreen Council. (2026). The global consensus: a worldwide rejection of 4-MBC (109 jurisdictions).

Beasley, D. G., & Meyer, T. A. (2010). Characterization of the UVA protection provided by avobenzone, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide in broad-spectrum sunscreen products. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 11(6), 413-421.

FDA. (2021). Sunscreen drug products for over-the-counter human use. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Mohammed, Y. H., et al. (2019). Support for the safe use of zinc oxide nanoparticle sunscreens. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 139(2), 308-315.

Nine News. (2026). Sunscreen warning: chemical UV filters in Australian sunscreens [broadcast investigation].

Regulation (EU) 2024/996 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as regards the use of certain substances in cosmetic products.

SCCS. (2022). Opinion on 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC) (SCCS/1640/21). European Commission, Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety.

Schlumpf, M., et al. (2010). Exposure patterns of UV filters, fragrances and organochlorine pesticides in human milk. University of Zurich.

Therapeutic Goods Administration. (2026). Sunscreen ingredients: 4-methylbenzylidene camphor assessment and review status.