Cosmetic ingredient dictionary
Benzophenone-4 in cosmetics: what it is and what it does
Benzophenone-4 is a cosmetic ingredient that filters UV light to protect the skin. The EU lists it as an allowed UV filter, with a maximum amount. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 215 products, most often shower gels.
By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check
What does Benzophenone-4 do in a product?
In a cosmetic product, Benzophenone-4 filters UV light to protect the skin and protects the product from UV light. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: UV filter and UV absorber.
What other names and numbers does Benzophenone-4 have?
- CAS number
- 4065-45-6
- EC number
- 223-772-2
- CosIng reference
- 32143
Is Benzophenone-4 restricted in the EU?
It is allowed, on a list with limits. The EU lists it as an allowed UV filter, with a maximum amount (Annex VI of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 22).
The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.
Which products contain Benzophenone-4?
Open Beauty Facts finds Benzophenone-4 in the ingredient lists of 215 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often shower gels, bath and shower and hair care.
Products with it, by country of sale: France 47 · Germany 28 · Norway 22 · United States 21.
Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Benzophenone-4 turns up, not how much of the market it is.
Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors
Sources
The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.
- European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
- Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
- EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)
Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check
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