Avobenzone

Skin photoaging and UV-induced skin damage are public health issues that have long received attention in the global dermatology field. As a benzoylmethane UV absorber, avobenzone is currently the only broad-spectrum sunscreen active ingredient that can cover the full UVA band (320-400 nm). Its mechanism of action is that the conjugated system in its molecular structure efficiently absorbs the energy of long-wave ultraviolet rays and releases it in the form of heat, so as to avoid oxidative damage to the DNA of skin cells. This ingredient is widely added to various sunscreen cosmetics, medical sunscreen dressings and auxiliary protective preparations for photosensitive skin diseases. It is one of the core functional raw materials for daily photoprotection of people with sensitive skin and patients with photosensitive diseases, and is also the most frequently used UVA protective ingredient in the formulation of sunscreen products worldwide.

At present, the global annual market size of avobenzone is approximately USD 280 million, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% in the past three years. The main driving factors are the increasing consumer demand for broad-spectrum sunscreen products and the rapid expansion of the medical-grade sunscreen dressing track. On the supply side, European and American enterprises and Chinese manufacturers are evenly matched. European manufacturers have long occupied about 45% of the high-end medical raw material market, while Chinese API enterprises, relying on their advantages in cost and technology, have seized nearly 60% of the production capacity of the global low- and medium-end market, and the annual growth rate of domestic relevant API exports is stable at around 11%.

The original developer of avobenzone is Merck KGaA, Germany, with the trade name Eusolex 9020, and the core compound patent expired globally in 2000. The current mainstream dosage form is powdered API, with a conventional specification of 25 kg per barrel. It has been included in the FDA Cosmetic Ingredient Directory and the list of permitted sunscreens in the Safety and Technical Standards for Cosmetics (2015 Edition) of China. As of October 2024, avobenzone APIs from a total of 6 enterprises in China have completed CDE registration, among which 3 are in status A, and another 12 domestic special sunscreen certificate products containing this ingredient have been approved for marketing. (Data as of October 2024, please refer to the official CDE website for the latest information)

CATO can provide a full set of impurity reference standards for avobenzone, most of which are available from stock. Orders for in-stock products placed before 16:00 can be shipped on the same day. All products meet the compliance requirements of multiple regulatory systems such as the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and FDA, and can meet the full-process needs of API manufacturers in quality research, stability study and declaration and registration.