Benzophenone-3: What the SCCS Concluded About Safety in Cosmetics
Benzophenone-3 safety summary from SCCP/1201/08: SCCS conclusion, NOAEL, maximum concentration or conditions, and source-linked context.
Benzophenone-3 is covered by SCCP/1201/08, an SCCS-family cosmetic safety opinion dated 2008-12-16. The opinion conclusion for this opinion is direct enough for a substance-specific summary: The SCCP is of the opinion that the use of benzophenone-3 as a UV-filter up to 6% in cosmetic sunscreen products and up to 0.5% in all types of cosmetic products to protect the formulation does not pose a risk to the health of the consumer, apart from its contact allergenic and photoallergenic potential.
Core Opinion Facts
- Opinion: SCCP/1201/08
- Opinion date: 2008-12-16
- Primary substance: Benzophenone-3
- CAS: 131-57-7
NOAEL Values Cited in the Opinion
The no-observed-adverse-effect data below is shown only from the SCCS source fields for this opinion. It is not a calculated margin-of-safety output.
| Endpoint | Value | Unit | Study context |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL — maternal and developmental toxicity (teratogenicity) | 200 | mg/kg bw/day | rat, teratogenicity study |
| NOAEL — dermal repeated dose (90-day) | 200 | mg/kg bw/day | rat, 90-day dermal repeated dose study |
| NOAEL — oral repeated dose | 411 | mg/kg bw/day | rat, repeated oral administration |
Maximum Concentration or Conditions
Conditions from the Opinion
The SCCP is of the opinion that the use of benzophenone-3 as a UV-filter up to 6% in cosmetic sunscreen products and up to 0.5% in all types of cosmetic products to protect the formulation does not pose a risk to the health of the consumer, apart from its contact allergenic and photoallergenic potential.;
How to Read This Safety Conclusion
The key point for formulators is the match between the named ingredient, the cited NOAEL, and the SCCS conclusion. A NOAEL is a study point of departure, not a standalone permission to use Benzophenone-3 at any level. The SCCS conclusion and any concentration or product-type conditions remain the controlling context for cosmetic use.
The source also matters because SCCS opinions can be ingredient-specific. The internal ingredient page for Benzophenone-3 should be treated as the substance hub, while SCCP/1201/08 is the opinion-level page for the committee record.
Practical Formulation Takeaway
For a formula review, start with the identity check: confirm the INCI name, CAS number, and opinion reference align with the material in the formula. Then compare the intended product type against the SCCS concentration or condition language above. If the formulation uses a different exposure route, product category, or concentration basis, the SCCS conclusion should not be stretched beyond what SCCP/1201/08 actually assessed.
Review Notes
The conservative reading is to keep Benzophenone-3 tied to this exact opinion. The opinion number, date, NOAEL table, and condition language all travel together. If a later formula review uses a different CAS identity, product type, or concentration basis, the source should be checked again rather than reusing this summary as a blanket answer.
This page is therefore an indexable safety summary, not a replacement for the committee text. It gives search readers the core SCCS facts for Benzophenone-3 and keeps the source handle visible for audit.
Source
- SCCS opinion: SCCP/1201/08
- Source file: sccp_o_159.pdf
- Extraction JSON: Source documentation archived.