Drometrizole Trisiloxane

Irritancy: unknownComedogenicity: unknownUV Absorber

The details

Drometrizole Trisiloxane is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that L'oreal patented back in 1989. Its offers broad-spectrum protection against UVB and UVA with two peaks: 303nm in the UVB range and 344 nm in the UVA range. The standout trait is photostability. Unlike other UV filters, this one doesn't break down when exposed to sunlight. You'll likely see it paired with Mexoryl SX (Ecamsule) because the two filters show a synergistic effect where the combined protection is greater than the sum of the individual filters. Because it is oil soluble, it's great for water-resistant/sport/beach sunscreens. Concentration-wise, the EU permits up to 15% but formulas use it well below that ceiling and almost never as a solo active. It has a pretty solid safety record: allergic reactions are considered rare, its large molecule size means little to no absorption through skin, and toxicology reviews found no significant toxicity. Just so you know, there were a handful of isolated allergic contact dermatitis case reports (which is true of every UV filter), but most people will not react to it. This ingredient is available in the EU, Canada, Australia, and Japan, but not the US. This is just because the manufacturer hasn't pushed the data through the FDA's OTC ingredient pathway.