What is homosalate?
Homosalate is an ingredient used in sunscreens and fragrances. It is a UV-absorber, filter, and a skin conditioner [4]. It absorbs UVB rays specifically.What products is homosalate in?
Homosalate is found in fragrances and sunscreens [4].How to tell if a product has homosalate
Be aware the homosalate may be listed on ingredient labels under other names including: heliopan; filtersol “a”; 3,3, 5-trimethyl-slicylate cyclohexanol; 3, 3, 5-trimethylcyclohexyl 2-hydrobenzoate; caswell no. 482b; 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexyl salicylate; ccris 4885; coppertone [4], homomenthyl salicylate, HMS, HS [5]Risks associated with homosalate
Homosalate has been restricted for use in cosmetics in Japan because of the health issues associated with this ingredient [4]. It is also classified by Canada as likely to be toxic or harmful to organs, suspected to be an environmental toxin as well as bio-accumulative [4]. Risks associated with exposure to homosalate include:- Estrogen, progesterone, and androgen disruption [1]. Homosalate effects the estrogen system. For example, a study showed that homosalate exposure led to 3.5 times more cell growth in human breast cancer cells, which multiply in response to estrogen.[5]
- Organ system toxicity [4]
- Endocrine disruption [4] – This is especially concerning given that homosalate has been identified in breast milk samples, where the mother’s use of sunscreens was highly correlated with the level of homosalate in breast milk. [5]