Synthetic UV filters like company.
Mineral sunscreens often use only ONE UV filter to keep your skin safe from UV harm, but chemical sunscreens need way more than that. They often go for a combo of four or five. Why is that?
Lots of synthetic UV filters are weak. They can block some UV rays here and there, but there’s no way they can deal with them all.
An example? Homosalate.
What Is Homosalate And What Does It Do?
Homosalate is a salycilate (a derivative of salicylic acid). Like all salycilates, it’s a weak UVB absorber.
Not only it struggles to protect skin well from UVB rays, but it offers no protection from UVA rays. Using it alone would be crazy.
If you’re wondering how it works, homoslate absorbs UVB rays and transforms them into a less dangerous form of energy (heat).
Is your sunscreen up to the job? Download your FREE “Sunscreen Audit” cheatsheet to find out if your sunscreen is both effective AND safe:
Does Homosolate Degrade Quickly?
Another reason why homosalate is a weak UV absorber?
It degrades quickly when exposed to sunlight. That’s catch 22 with UV filters. You need them to protects you from from the sun. But sunlight deactivates them.
The stronger the sun’s rays are and the longer you stay in the sun, the sooner UV filters stop working. That’s why you need to reapply sunscreen every two hours. Ironic, isn’t it?
Related: How To Reapply Sunscreen While Wearing Makeup
Is Homosalate Dangerous?
Now, the question you all want to ask: is homosalate dangerous?
Pretty much every other synthetic UV filter is accused (often wrongly) of causing cancer or some other nasty disease, so it’s only natural to assume that overzealous folks may have found something wrong with homosalate, too, right?
Apparently not. Homosalate has a good safety profile and, so far at least, it hasn’t been accused of doing anything bad. Phew!
Too bad it can’t be used alone, though, isn’t it?
What Are The Best Sunscreens With Homosalate?
- Clinique Sun Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Cream ($21.50): available Nordstrom and Sephora.
- Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 60 Soft Sheer Sunscreen Lotion ($30.50): available at Dermstore.
- Paula’s Choice Skincare Lipscreen SPF 50 ($9.00): available at Paula’s Choice.
The Bottom Line
Homosalate isn’t dangerous. But, it isn’t that effective either. Don’t use it alone.
Since homosalate is related to salicylate , if you’re allergic to aspirin
, you could also be allergic to it as well.
Carol, thanks for pointing that out.:)
I do use it when it’s in some of my sunscreen products but I tend to stick to primarily zinc and titanium oxide based sunscreens. 😀
Janessa, me too. They’re just better, aren’t they? 🙂
homosalate not accused of anything?! It’s a couple years already since it’s been discussed as an endocrine disruptor and there’s no consensus still abouy it’s safety. Definitely not something you wanna try especially on children
Giulia, this article is a few years old. I don’t recommend any chemical filters on children but I haven’t seen any solid scientific proof it’s bad for adults too yet. Unfortunately, these days if something doesn’t come from a plant, someone will say it’s dangerous.