Menu
OCTINOXATE
Score:
Data: Fair
- Other Concerns
- Functions
- About the Chemical
- Synonyms
-
Enhanced skin absorption, Endocrine disruption (moderate), Persistence and bioaccumulation (low), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low), and Biochemical or cellular level changes (high)
Cancer 
Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.
Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Allergies & Immunotoxicity
Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.
Products with this Ingredient
| foundation | 296 products |
| daily use with SPF | 293 products |
| fragrance for women | 135 products |
| lip balm with SPF | 110 products |
| hair spray | 87 products |
| fragrance for men | 82 products |
| recreational sunscreen | 73 products |
| conditioner | 54 products |
| shampoo | 52 products |
| body spray | 50 products |
| hair treatment/serum | 48 products |
| BB cream | 44 products |
| lipstick | 40 products |
| 37 products | |
| CC cream | 33 products |
| hair styling aide | 29 products |
| facial powder | 22 products |
| facial moisturizer/treatment | 20 products |
| moisturizer | 19 products |
| concealer | 17 products |
| makeup primer | 15 products |
| blush | 13 products |
| lip balm | 12 products |
| anti-aging | 12 products |
| baby sunscreen | 11 products |
| body wash/cleanser | 11 products |
| lip gloss | 10 products |
| bronzer/highlighter | 10 products |
| styling mousse/foam | 9 products |
| styling gel/lotion | 8 products |
| after shave | 7 products |
| serums & essences | 7 products |
| body oil | 5 products |
| other eye makeup | 4 products |
| hand sanitizer | 4 products |
| nail polish | 3 products |
| body firming lotion | 3 products |
| facial cleanser | 3 products |
| liquid hand soap | 3 products |
| hair color and bleaching | 3 products |
| exfoliant/scrub | 2 products |
| glitter | 2 products |
| skin fading/lightener | 2 products |
| setting powder/spray | 2 products |
| detangler | 2 products |
| toners/astringents | 1 products |
| lip plumper | 1 products |
| sunless tanning | 1 products |
| mask | 1 products |
| eye shadow | 1 products |
| eye makeup remover | 1 products |
| around-eye cream | 1 products |
| tanning oil | 1 products |
Enhanced skin absorption
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| OMC increased penetration of 2,4D (a pesticide) and decreased lag time. | Pont AR, Charron AR, Brand RM 2004. Active ingredients in sunscreens act as topical penetration enhancers for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 195(3): 348-354. |
| Is absorbed into skin in vitro at 0 to X% | {Gupta, 1999; Potard, 2000; Benech-Kieffer, 2000} |
Biochemical or cellular level changes
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Produces damaging reactive oxygen species upon exposure to sunlight | {Allen, 1996} |
Endocrine disruption
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Human endocrine disruptor - strong evidence | European Commission on Endocrine Disruption |
| One or more studies show significant wildlife and the environment disruption | European Commission on Endocrine Disruption |
| Octyl-Methoxycinnamate could alter the sex hormone/neurotransmitter relationships in rats. | Carbone 2010. In Vitro Effect of Octyl - Methoxycinnamate (OMC) on the Release of Gn-RH and Amino Acid Neurotransmitters by Hypothalamus of Adult Rats. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. |
| Octylmethoxycinnamate decreased the hormonal release significantly in male and female rats , potentially affecting the reproductive system and sexual maturation. | Szwarcfarb B, Carbone S, Reynoso R, Bollero G, Ponzo O, Moguilevsky J, Scacchi P "Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC), an ultraviolet (UV) filter, alters LHRH and amino acid neurotransmitters release from hypothalamus of immature rats." Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2008 Feb;116(2):94-8. |
| Octyl-methoxycinnamate decreased serum levels of thyroid hormones TSH, T4 and T3 in female rats. | Klammer H, Schlecht C, Wuttke W, Schmutzler C, Gotthardt I, Köhrle J, Jarry H "Effects of a 5-day treatment with the UV-filter octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC) on the function of the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid function in rats." Toxicology. 2007 Sep 5;238(2-3):192-9. |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| 8 of 82 patients diagnosed with photoallergic contact dermatitis displayed photoallergic reactions to octyl methoxycinnamate following a photopatch test. | Rodriguez E, Valbuena MC, Rey M, Porras de Quintana L 2006. Causal agents of photoallergic contact dermatitis diagnosed in the national institute of dermatology of Colombia. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 22(4): 189-192. |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| In the men the plasma concentrations of OMC were significantly higher after 96 h than after 24 h. | Janjua NR, Mogensen B, Andersson AM, Petersen JH, Henriksen M, Skakkebaek NE, et al 2004. Systemic Absorption of the Sunscreens Benzophenone-3, Octyl-Methoxycinnamate, and 3-(4-Methyl-Benzylidene) Camphor after Whole-Body Topical Application and Reproductive Hormone Levels in Humans. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 123(1): 57-61. |
| Not suspected to be persistent | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Increased uterine weight at dose of 100 mg/kg in rats; in addition, expression of Erb and TERP1 genes, decreased expression of IGF1 gene, decreased cholesterol and LDL levels | Klammer 2005. Multi-organic risk assessment of estrogenic properties of octyl-methoxycinnamate in vivo A 5-day sub-acute pharmacodynamic study with ovariectomized rats. Toxicology. Nov 5;215(1-2):90-6 |
| Led to reduced food consumption and body weight, increased liver weight, produced hepatic cytoplasmic eosinophilia and erosion/ulceration of glandular stomach mucosa, decreased implantation rate and delayed maturation of F1 and F2 pups | Schneider 2005. Octyl methoxycinnamate: two generation reproduction toxicity in Wistar rats by dietary administration. Food Chem Toxicol. 43(7):1083-92. |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| 2-generation rat study shows increased liver weight in adults fed 1000 mg/kg OMC. | Schneider "Octyl methoxycinnamate: two generation reproduction toxicity in Wistar rats by dietary administration" Food Chem Toxicol. 2005 Jul;43(7):1083-92. |
| Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Ecotoxicology
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Concentrations in water and fish from Swiss Lakes | ME. Balmer, H.R. Buser, M.D. Muller, T. Poiger. 2004. Occurrence of the organic UV-ï¬lter compounds BP-3, 4-MBC, EHMC, and OC in wastewater, surface waters, and in ï¬sh from Swiss lakes, Agroscope, Swiss Federal Research Station for Horticulture, Plant Protection Chemistry, CH-8820W’’Adenswil, Switzerland. |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Data gaps
| Concern | Reference |
|---|---|
| 799 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Data Sources
- Pont AR, Charron AR, Brand RM 2004. Active ingredients in sunscreens act as topical penetration enhancers for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 195(3): 348-354.
- {Gupta, 1999; Potard, 2000; Benech-Kieffer, 2000}
- {Allen, 1996}
- EU (European Union)- Strategy for Endocrine Disrupters 2007. Commision on endocrin disruption requested by the European Parliament in 1998.
- Carbone 2010. In Vitro Effect of Octyl - Methoxycinnamate (OMC) on the Release of Gn-RH and Amino Acid Neurotransmitters by Hypothalamus of Adult Rats. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes.
- Szwarcfarb B, Carbone S, Reynoso R, Bollero G, Ponzo O, Moguilevsky J, Scacchi P "Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC), an ultraviolet (UV) filter, alters LHRH and amino acid neurotransmitters release from hypothalamus of immature rats." Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2008 Feb;116(2):94-8.
- Klammer H, Schlecht C, Wuttke W, Schmutzler C, Gotthardt I, Köhrle J, Jarry H "Effects of a 5-day treatment with the UV-filter octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC) on the function of the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid function in rats." Toxicology. 2007 Sep 5;238(2-3):192-9.
- Rodriguez E, Valbuena MC, Rey M, Porras de Quintana L 2006. Causal agents of photoallergic contact dermatitis diagnosed in the national institute of dermatology of Colombia. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 22(4): 189-192.
- Janjua NR, Mogensen B, Andersson AM, Petersen JH, Henriksen M, Skakkebaek NE, et al 2004. Systemic Absorption of the Sunscreens Benzophenone-3, Octyl-Methoxycinnamate, and 3-(4-Methyl-Benzylidene) Camphor after Whole-Body Topical Application and Reproductive Hormone Levels in Humans. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 123(1): 57-61.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- Klammer 2005. Multi-organic risk assessment of estrogenic properties of octyl-methoxycinnamate in vivo A 5-day sub-acute pharmacodynamic study with ovariectomized rats. Toxicology. Nov 5;215(1-2):90-6
- Schneider 2005. Octyl methoxycinnamate: two generation reproduction toxicity in Wistar rats by dietary administration. Food Chem Toxicol. 43(7):1083-92.
- Schneider "Octyl methoxycinnamate: two generation reproduction toxicity in Wistar rats by dietary administration" Food Chem Toxicol. 2005 Jul;43(7):1083-92.
- ME. Balmer, H.R. Buser, M.D. Muller, T. Poiger. 2004. Occurrence of the organic UV-ï¬lter compounds BP-3, 4-MBC, EHMC, and OC in wastewater, surface waters, and in ï¬sh from Swiss lakes, Agroscope, Swiss Federal Research Station for Horticulture, Plant Protection Chemistry, CH-8820W’’Adenswil, Switzerland.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
ABOUT THE SKIN DEEP® RATINGS
EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
ABOUT EWG VERIFIED™
Beyond providing Skin Deep® as an educational tool for consumers, EWG offers its EWG VERIFIED™ mark as a quick and easily identifiable way of conveying personal care products that meet EWG's strict health criteria. Before a company can use EWG VERIFIED™ on such products, the company must show that it fully discloses the products' ingredients on their labels or packaging, they do not contain EWG ingredients of concern, and are made with good manufacturing practices, among other criteria. Note that EWG receives licensing fees from all EWG VERIFIED™ member companies that help to support the important work we do. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer
