Overview

We all know that long-term exposure to the heat of the sun can cause melanoma and sunburns. But there is a scarier effect that the sun can bring to our skin. The sun’s rays can damage the skin’s healthy cells and collagen. And when this happens, we will develop a sagging skin. To protect our skin from the sun, we need to find and use sunscreens that contain ingredients such as avobenzone. This ingredient can absorb UV radiation and will keep our skin healthy, even under the sun’s exposure.

While many sunscreens work through blocking the UV rays and free radicals, avobenzone absorbs the rays and converts them to an energy that can cause minimal damage to the skin. Since it is working that way, avobenzone has called chemical sunscreen, and it protects the skin from harmful UV rays.

Sunblocks that is rich with avobenzone ingredient is an excellent choice if you want to protect your skin from the sun. But you have to know that the effect of avobenzone may vary due to different skin types. If you want to know whether this is the right solution for your skin protection regimen, you need to keep studying about avobenzone.

History and Uses of Avobenzone

Avobenzone was initially patented during the year of 1973, and it was used in Europe after the year 1978. When this ingredient was used to create different cosmetic products, it was not yet approved by the DFA. But in the year 1998, it was known as a safe ingredient for many skin products such as sunscreen.

Although avobenzone is a good ingredient for sunscreen, there are some cases that it is not effective since its strength can quickly fade when it’s exposed to the sunlight. But when avobenzone was mixed with some photo-stabilizing ingredients, such as octocrylene, the effectivity of this ingredient has significantly increased. Avobenzone has also been used with other cosmetic and skin products so that the other ingredients can remain stable. Some other products where avobenzone is present are sprays, creams, and lip balms.

Side Effects

Side-effects are very common to different products, and avobenzone is not an exemption with this. When avobenzone gets mixed up with other ingredients and will be used frequently or in a large dose, it can become toxic and cause various skin reactions. For sunscreen and other product that contains avobenzone, the safe concentration of the ingredient is between 3 to 5 percent. 

Aside from those side effects mentioned above, there are no other effects that have been reported. But if you can see some skin reactions while using products with avobenzone, you need to stop using it since you might have an allergy to the product. These allergies may be very rare, but it happened with some users. The most common symptoms of allergy to avobenzone are skin swelling, skin redness, and hives. If you experience one or more of these symptoms after product with avobenzone, you have to consult your doctor immediately and discuss treatment with your condition.

Dosage and Administration

There are many things that you should remember about avobenzone, and it’s usage. Right here, we have compiled the most important information that you need to know about this ingredient:

• If you are using a sunscreen product with avobenzone, you have to make sure that you read every instruction and warning found in the product’s packaging. Though this product is safe to use in different areas of your body, you have to avoid the lotion from getting inside your mouth or eyes since it can cause a reaction. 
• Avobenzone is not waterproof. And because of this, you have to reapply your sunscreen whenever you go swimming, or you have sweat heavily. For those who are staying under the sun for hours, it is recommended that you reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours so your skin can stay protected. If you have broken or irritated skin, you should never apply creams that contain avobenzone ingredient because it can worsen the condition and start inflammation.
• Although most products with avobenzone are safe according to DFA, you must avoid using this product to those children aged six and below since they have more sensitive skin than adults. If you are pregnant and you consider using avobenzone, discuss your condition with a dermatologist before you use the product.
• As for the SPF rating of the product, you cannot assume that the lotion with SPF 50 is better than the one with SPF 30. SPF rating is not there to tell you how effective the product is. Instead, it was indicated to show you how much the cream can increase your skin’s ability to fight UV radiation and how long you can stay under the sun. This means that you have fair and sensitive skin, you have a higher chance of getting sunburns quickly than a person who has an olive complexion even though you are using the same sunscreen product with the similar SPF rating. 

Drug Interaction

Many doctors and dermatologists recommend various products with avobenzone. And if you happened to be one of those people who are under the doctor’s instructions, he will discuss the chances of drug interaction and will closely monitor your condition. To avoid any negative effect of this ingredient, you should never start, stop, or change the medication dose without consulting your doctor or pharmacist beforehand. 

As recommended for every patient, you need to secure a list of every medication that you are taking, and you need to discuss them with your doctor or dermatologist.

Warnings and Precautions

You have to follow every warning and precaution related to this ingredient to avoid problems while using a product.

• When you have an allergy with sunscreen solutions that contain avobenzone, you should never consider buying one and trying it to see the reaction with other cosmetic products such as creams and lip balms. 
• You should avoid using products with avobenzone if you have conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, asthma, and other skin problems.
• Although you are using avobenzone, you still need to avoid direct exposure under the harmful UV rays of the sun.
• Never overdose products with avobenzone of you want to prevent skin discoloration.

Overdose and Contraindication

When it comes to the ingredient’s overdose and contraindication, here are the things that you need to keep in mind:

• With avobenzone alone, this ingredient is considered to be non-toxic and non-irritating. But, if it is combined with photo-stabilizer ingredients, the chances of getting skin irritation and toxic increases. This is the reason why you have to be careful when using products with avobenzone.
• Some studies showed that our body is absorbing avobenzone, and it can be discharged through urine. That’s why using this ingredient on pregnant women and children is not advisable.
• For the record of The Food and Drug Administration or FDA, it is safe to use this ingredient and those products containing it as long as the concentration will go between 3 to 5 percent.

Indication

Avobenzone is being used in different skin products such as sunscreen because it can boost skin protection factor. It has a wide spectrum of UV absorption property that is essential for sunscreen products.

Medication Guide

If you want to maximize the benefits of avobenzone and the products that you are using with this ingredient, you need to follow this medication guide:

• Keep in mind that sunscreens are for external use only, and you must only apply the cream or lotion into your skin. Strictly follow all the instructions that you can see on the packaging of the product. When you are unsure of any information, you should consult your doctor or dermatologist.
• To properly use the sunscreen, apply it to every skin area that will be exposed to the skin 30 minutes before the exposure. If you are using the product on the beach, you have to reapply the lotion after swimming or heavy sweating because avobenzone is not waterproof. If you are planning to stay outdoor for a long time, t is recommended that you reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours so your skin can stay protected. 
• Be careful when you are using the lotion to your face. Avoid contact with your eyes and mouth. If this happens, you have to rinse the affected area with clean water.
• If you have irritated skin, or you have a history with a skin reaction to other cosmetic products with avobenzone such as sprays and lip balms, you have to avoid using sunscreens that contain this ingredient.
• Never use sunscreen on babies younger than six months, unless you have consulted a doctor about it. As much as possible, keep the infants away from the direct exposure to sunlight and let them wear protective clothing when outdoors.

Avobenzone is an excellent aid for those people who are very careful about their skin. When you can use every product that contains avobenzone, you will enjoy the beautiful effects of this ingredient.