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The Future of Sunscreens: A Shift Away from Chemical UV Filters

Sunscreen science is undergoing a major transformation. As evidence grows around hormone disruption, systemic absorption, and environmental toxicity from certain chemical UV filters, regulators and brands are accelerating a shift toward mineral, non-nano zinc oxide — a UV filter with decades of safety data and global regulatory acceptance.


zinc oxide powder

A Growing Regulatory Divide


Around the world, regulatory agencies have taken stronger action, reassessing older chemical filters, such as 4-MBC (4-methylbenzylidene camphor):


  • European Union: Following a comprehensive safety review, the EU introduced a phase-out of 4-MBC in cosmetic products starting 1/5/2025, with a ban taking effect on 1/5/2026.

  • United States: The FDA determined that 4-MBC does not meet GRASE standards for use in sunscreens.

  • Global landscape: 4-MBC is now banned in 29 countries, reflecting a broad consensus built on toxicological and endocrine-disruption data.


Meanwhile, the TGA’s earlier position — set out in its 2005 internal file note advising no urgent action — has not kept pace with the decisions made in comparable regulatory environments. Australia still permits its use at up to 4%, including in children’s sunscreens.


4-MBC is only one example. Other chemical filters, such as oxybenzone, homosalate, and octocrylene are experiencing similar scrutiny. The direction of travel is clear: regulators are moving away from chemical absorbers with questionable safety profiles.


Why Zinc Oxide Is the Future of UV Protection


  • As chemical filters face bans and restrictions, zinc oxide has emerged as the most secure, evidence-backed UV active for the next generation of sunscreens. Its advantages are increasingly aligned with both science and public expectations.


  • True Broad-Spectrum Coverage: Zinc oxide is the only single active ingredient that blocks the full UVA and UVB spectrum, including deep UVA1 — the wavelengths most linked to melanoma and skin ageing.


  • Proven Long-Term Safety: It remains on the skin’s surface, does not disrupt hormones, and avoids the breakdown by-products associated with some organic filters.


  • Regulatory Stability Worldwide: Zinc oxide is approved by every major regulatory authority — FDA, TGA, EU SCCS, Japan, ASEAN — giving brands confidence to formulate for global markets.


  • Consumer Trust and Market Momentum: Demand for mineral sunscreens continues to grow among parents, dermatologists, and health-conscious consumers seeking non-absorbing, non-irritating, and environmentally safe options.


  • A Forward-Looking Ingredient for Modern Formulation: As more chemical UV filters undergo safety reassessment, zinc oxide stands out as the only UV filter whose regulatory position is strengthening rather than weakening.


Technical Summary (Evidence-Based Overview)


4-MBC has been identified as an endocrine-active UV filter with documented effects on oestrogenic and thyroid pathways. It has been detected in human breast milk, confirming systemic absorption. After extensive safety evaluation, the European Union enacted a full ban through Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996 of 3 April 2024, which states:


“From 1 May 2025 products containing that substance shall not be placed on the Union market. From 1 May 2026 cosmetic products containing that substance shall not be made available on the Union market.”


The U.S. FDA separately concluded in 2015 that 4-MBC does not meet GRASE criteria, eliminating its use in American sunscreens. Globally, 4-MBC is banned in 29 countries.


In contrast, non-nano zinc oxide remains one of the few UV filters consistently recognised across all major regulatory jurisdictions as safe, photostable, non-hormonal, and environmentally compatible. Optical studies confirm uniform attenuation across UVB, UVA2, and UVA1 wavelengths — a level of performance that many chemical filters fail to achieve due to photodegradation or spectral gaps.


This evidence underpins zinc oxide’s position as the most future-proof UV filter for next-generation sunscreen innovation.



References


  1.  European Commission. (2024). Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996 of 3 April 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the use of Vitamin A, Alpha-Arbutin and Arbutin and certain substances with potential endocrine disrupting properties in cosmetic products. Official Journal of the European Union, L(996), 1–8. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/996/oj

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