From the Research
Octocrylene has not been definitively proven to cause cancer in humans, and its use in sunscreens at approved concentrations is considered safe by regulatory bodies like the FDA and European Commission. Octocrylene is a common UV filter used in sunscreens and other personal care products to protect skin from harmful UV radiation. The available data show that octocrylene does not have any endocrine disruption potential, and it is a rare sensitizer, with photocontact allergy being more frequent 1. While some laboratory studies have suggested that octocrylene can degrade into benzophenone, a compound with potential endocrine-disrupting properties, and there have been concerns about its bioaccumulation, the direct link to cancer development in humans remains unestablished.
Some studies have identified UV filters such as oxybenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate, and ethylhexyl salicylate in almost all water sources around the world, and have commented that these filters are not easily removed by common wastewater treatment plant techniques 2. However, the focus of these studies is on the environmental impact of UV filters, rather than their potential to cause cancer in humans.
It's worth noting that the benefits of using sunscreen containing octocrylene to prevent skin cancer from UV exposure likely outweigh the theoretical risks associated with the ingredient itself. If you're concerned about octocrylene, mineral-based sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are available alternatives that provide effective UV protection without this chemical filter 3. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have a broad UVA-UVB absorption curve, and their human health risks are extremely low given a lack of percutaneous absorption 3.
In terms of UVA protection, avobenzone, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide are commonly used in broad-spectrum sunscreen products, with avobenzone and zinc oxide providing superior attenuation of UVA wavelengths >360 nm compared to titanium dioxide 4. However, this information is not directly relevant to the question of whether octocrylene causes cancer.
Overall, based on the current scientific evidence, the use of octocrylene in sunscreens at approved concentrations is considered safe, and it is not definitively proven to cause cancer in humans.