Ingredient glossary
Homosalate
On your shelf ✓What Homosalate does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Homosalate
In short: Homosalate delivers uvb protection, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate. One thing to know: clear it with your doctor if pregnant.
- What it does
- Uvb protection
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Watch out
- Clear it with your doctor if pregnant
- Evidence
- Moderate
- How long
- Straight away
The molecule
The Glow take
Only as good as the sunscreen it lives in.
As a single filter, Homosalate only matters as part of a finished sunscreen you actually reapply. The best SPF is the one that feels good enough to wear every morning.
— Maya
What it does
- uvb protection
moderate evidenceRecent safety reviews are re-evaluating homosalate exposure margins, but at allowed levels it remains widely used in conventional sunscreens.
On a label: usually effective at 5-15%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- normal
- oily
Approach with care
- reef concern
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Take extra care if any of these apply to you: reef concern.
Where it fits in your routine
This one works on contact — there is nothing to wait for.
What that covers, and what it does not
Measured on: UV attenuation by the applied film — UVB absorption contributing to SPF.
A weak UVB absorber, which is why it is used at 5-15% rather than at active-like doses; weakness is a matter of how much absorbance the film delivers, not of how long the user waits, so the bucket is still immediate. Protection is present at the 15-30 minute drying point used by SPF methodology and by the label direction. The EU has been tightening its permitted level on systemic exposure-margin grounds (SCCS re-evaluation), which changes the dose, not the timing.
US 21 CFR 201.327; EU Reg 1223/2009 Annex VI as amended after SCCS re-evaluation; ISO 24444:2019.
Plays well with
- other uvb filters
- broad spectrum filters
Homosalate, answered
Is Homosalate safe during pregnancy?
Clear it with your doctor first. Homosalate is flagged as use-with-caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so check with your doctor or midwife before adding it.
Who should avoid Homosalate?
Approach Homosalate with care if any of these apply to you: reef concern.
What concentration of Homosalate actually works?
Homosalate tends to do its job in the 5 to 15% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
During pregnancy
Treat Homosalate as a maybe rather than a yes for now. It is flagged as one to use with caution while pregnant or breastfeeding, so it is worth clearing before you carry on.
When in doubt, check with your doctor or midwife. They outrank any website, including this one.When it is worth booking →
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