amber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Common UVA filter — degrades in sunlight unless stabilised.
Low Tox Gear · Scanner
Sunsitive Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+
Is Avene Sunsitive Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+ low tox? Our scanner flagged 5 ingredients (5 in the caution tier) on its published label, screened against our 237 source-cited chemical rules.
5 caution
5 ingredients flagged
What we flagged
amber
Homosalate
EU SCCS flagged endocrine concerns; restricted concentration since 2023.
amber
Octocrylene
Chemical UV filter. Photoallergen risk and benzophenone breakdown over time.
Downs et al. Chemical Research in Toxicology 2021 (benzophenone degradation)
amber
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Synthetic polymer film-former. Microplastic concern (rinse-off products), low-grade monomer-residue concern.
amber
PEG-15 Cocamine
Manufacturing process can leave 1,4-dioxane (probable carcinogen) and ethylene oxide as contaminants. Look for 'vacuum-stripped' products.
Full ingredients (from label)
BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE. HOMOSALATE. OCTOCRYLENE. OCTO SALICYLATE. ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER. ALKYL (C12 - 15) BENZOATE. ALOE VERA. CAPRYLYL GLYCOL. CARBOMER 941. CITRIC ACID. DL-ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE. GLYCEROL. OCTANOHYDROXAMIC ACID. PEG-15 COCAMINE. PEG-40 STEARATE. PURIFIED WATER. SILICON DIOXIDE. TROLAMINE. WHITE BEESWAX.
How this analysis is generated
Each ingredient on this product's published label is matched against our 237 source-cited chemical rules, each documenting a concern from peer-reviewed research and regulatory sources. Severity tiers:
- Avoid (red) — banned or restricted in the EU, UK or Canada but still legal in the US, IARC-listed, or strong contact-allergen evidence.
- Caution (amber) — regulatory caution, contamination risk, or condition-specific irritant.
- Mild (green) — low concern but commonly avoided in low-tox formulations.
Each flag links to its primary chemical-level source, and each condition pill links to a PubMed-indexed paper that discusses the chemical class in the context of that condition. Every citation is a real peer-reviewed paper — we don't link to Wikipedia or PubMed search pages. Some pairs use a topically-broad paper (e.g. a fragrance-allergen patch-test review) rather than a single-pair study where the literature is thin. The full evidence chain (chemical → mechanism → condition → paper) is one click away.
This is automated analysis of a published label, not medical advice — always verify the label yourself before changing products. Methodology and source list at scan.lowtoxgear.com.