Characteristics
- INCI
- Ethylhexyl Salicylate
- Ru.
- Octyl Salicylate, Octisalate
- CAS
-
118-60-5
This is the substance number in the Chemical Abstracts Service registry. The CAS number uniquely identifies a substance regardless of language, trade name, or synonyms.
- EC
-
204-263-4
This is the substance number in the European chemical identification system (EC number), used in European regulatory databases including ECHA/CosIng.
- IUPAC
- 2-Ethylhexyl Salicylate
- Functions
- uv absorber, uv filter
- Irritancy
-
0 / 5
Irritation potential: 0–5, where 5 is the highest irritation rating for the ingredient.
More detail → - Comedogen.
-
0 / 5
Comedogenicity index: 0–5. A non-comedogenic ingredient (0–1) is unlikely to cause cosmetic acne.
More detail → - EU Restr.
-
VI/20
EU regulatory status: restricted use. The ingredient is permitted in EU cosmetics but its use and labelling are regulated.
More detail →
Who it's for
Description
Sun protection lotions need a bit of behind-the-scenes teamwork, and Ethylhexyl Salicylate is one of those ingredients that quietly helps the whole cast perform better. It is a clear, oily liquid used mainly as a UVB filter, which means it helps absorb the part of sunlight most responsible for sunburn. Its sweet spot is around 306 nm, so it is especially useful for boosting protection in the UVB range rather than acting as a lone superhero sunscreen.
On its own, it is not a very strong UV filter, but that is exactly why formulators like it: it plays well with others. It can help increase the overall SPF of a formula and also acts as a solvent for some solid, powdery UV filters, making them easier to blend into smooth, elegant sunscreen textures. In other words, it helps the product feel less like a chalky science experiment and more like something you actually want to put on your face.
Safety-wise, this one has a pretty good reputation. It is approved at up to 5% in the US and in Europe, while Japan allows up to 10%. Regulatory limits like these are not random numbers pulled out of a hat; they reflect the amount needed for effective use alongside other filters while keeping exposure in a comfortable safety range. So if you spot it in your sunscreen, it is usually there to do a specific supporting job rather than to steal the spotlight.
And that supporting role matters. Modern sunscreens are rarely built around a single ingredient, because broad-spectrum protection is usually a carefully balanced mix of filters working together. Ethylhexyl Salicylate helps cover the UVB side of the equation, improves the feel and stability of the formula, and makes it easier to create sunscreens that are both effective and wearable. Not glamorous, perhaps, but definitely useful — and in sunscreen chemistry, useful is very handsome indeed.
More detail
A colorless to light yellowish oily liquid that works as a UVB (280-320nm) sunscreen filter with a peak absorbance at 306 nm. It's not a strong filter in itself, it's always used in combination with other sunscreen agents to further enhance the SPF and to solubilize other solid UV filters.
It has a good safety profile and is allowed to be used at a max concentration of 5% both in the US and in Europe (10% is allowed in Japan).
Evidence & Research on Ethylhexyl Salicylate
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1
Pharmazie 62: 449–452 (2007), Study of the efficacy of 18 sun filters authorized in European Union tested in vitro
Products with Ethylhexyl Salicylate (6 895 total)
Most often found in Nivea products (132 items)
