Dioxybenzone
A benzophenone-family filter rarely used today.
Banned in
- Palau
Also excluded where only mineral sunscreen is allowed
- Maui County
- Hawaiʻi County
Where it’s restricted
Named in the law or guidance
| Location | Status | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Palau law text ↗ | In force | January 1, 2020 |
Also not allowed under mineral-only rules
Dioxybenzone isn’t named in these laws, but they allow only mineral (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) sunscreens, so a product containing it is excluded anyway.
- Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) (in force since October 1, 2022)
- Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) (in force since December 1, 2022)
Why it’s regulated
FDA's 2019 proposed rule placed dioxybenzone in Category III because the public record lacks sufficient data to support a positive GRASE determination.
What the reef research says
He et al. (2019) tested dioxybenzone (BP-8) on larvae and adults of two coral species at 0.1 to 1000 μg/L. BP-1 and dioxybenzone caused settlement failure, bleaching and mortality in Seriatopora caliendrum larvae at a lowest observed effect concentration of 10 μg/L or more, and no compound affected Pocillopora damicornis larvae. Overall, BP-1 and BP-8 were more toxic to both species than oxybenzone (BP-3) and sulisobenzone (BP-4), and the toxicity ranking matched bioaccumulation, with BP-8 highest. The coral tests used two species.
Sources (4)
- He et al. 2019, Science of the Total Environment 651:2391-2399 (doi 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.148), PubMed record
- FDA, Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use (proposed rule, Federal Register, 2019)
- FDA: Questions and answers on FDA's regulatory actions on over-the-counter sunscreen (content current as of 10 Sept 2026)
- 21 CFR 352.10, Sunscreen active ingredients (eCFR; ensulizole, meradimate, octinoxate and octisalate appear under their revised names in the stayed 2002 amendment)
Related ingredients: Oxybenzone, Sulisobenzone
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.