Benzophenone-4
Decode Label flags Benzophenone-4 as a low concern in cosmetics and personal care (endocrine disruptor). It appears in 5 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.5%).
The concern
UV filter - safe up to 5 percent, with an endocrine-activity question
Benzophenone-4 absorbs ultraviolet light and is used in sunscreens and to protect a formula from light. In its 2024 final opinion (SCCS/1660/23) the EU safety committee concluded it is safe at up to 5 percent as a UV filter, and that any other use must stay inside the same 5 percent limit. The committee also flagged that its potential endocrine-disrupting properties were a concern it could not fully close, so it is worth knowing about for people who avoid benzophenone-type filters.
Most relevant to
Cited authority
SCCS/1660/23 final opinion on benzophenone-4 (4 April 2024); EU Regulation 1223/2009 Annex VI
Linked sources: EU-CosIng →
How common it is in this catalogue
Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.
By category
Regulatory position
From the published regulation itself. Each row links to its source.
| Authority | Status | Reference | Scope / limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU-CosIng | Permitted | Annex VI 22 | — max 5%(as acid) | View → |
Identity
- Canonical name
- 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid (Benzophenone-5) and its sodium salt / Sulisobenzone
- INCI name
- Benzophenone-4; Benzophenone-5
- CAS number
- 4065-45-6
- EC number
- 223-772-2
Also appears on labels as
Questions
Is Benzophenone-4 safe?
The concern is cited to SCCS/1660/23 final opinion on benzophenone-4 (4 April 2024); EU Regulation 1223/2009 Annex VI. Why it is flagged: UV filter - safe up to 5 percent, with an endocrine-activity question. Decode Label treats it as a low concern in cosmetics and personal care. It appears in 5 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.5%).
How common is Benzophenone-4 in Indian packaged products?
Decode Label found Benzophenone-4 in 5 of 912 published products (0.5%), most often in Haircare, Skincare.
Is Benzophenone-4 restricted or banned anywhere?
Under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (CosIng), Benzophenone-4 has 1 permitted entry. Each is shown with its annex reference and a link to the source in the Regulatory position table.
Who should be most careful with Benzophenone-4?
Anyone using this regularly; People who are pregnant.
Products containing Benzophenone-4
5 published products, each with its own full analysis.
Related ingredients
Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.
Method and limits
- Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 912 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
- Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
- A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
- Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 3 November 2026.
- Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.