The Watch List™

March 2, 2026

If you’ve read The Ingredient List, you know we value transparency — and yes, sometimes that means we make judgments. (It's the cool club).

Welcome to The Watch List (It's the not cool club) — where we call out the SPF offenders, the “meh” formulas, and the ingredients that make your skin and the planet frown.

Think of it as the SPF hall of shame… but we still do it with love and keep the science simple. Because knowing what not to trust is just as important as knowing what to put on your skin.

From hidden nasties to dodgy additives and formulas that fail your skin or the reef, we believe in calling out the offenders you shouldn’t trust.

Hybrid UV Filter Systems

Category:

Active filters, often Chemical, sometimes with Zinc Oxide
Combination of mineral + organic UV filters in one formula.

What it is

Common in beauty and family brands, not always transparent in labeling - 'reef safe' claims are not proven or regulated.

Why it’s on The Watch List™

Multiple UV filters used together can appear in “mineral” or “reef-safe” products
Increases formulation complexity and exposure pathways
Includes filters under global review (e.g. oxybenzone, homosalate)

Watch for these ingredients:
oxybenzone • homosalate • octocrylene • avobenzone • octisalate

Key note

“More filters doesn’t always mean more transparency.”

SunSafe® Tags:

UV filters, sunscreen ingredients, oxybenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, avobenzone, octisalate, sunscreen formulation, hybrid sunscreen, chemical UV filters, mineral sunscreen zinc oxide, reef safe sunscreen, Australia sunscreen regulation, Therapudic Goods Association, Australia

1. Oxybenzone

What it is
A chemical UV filter used to absorb UV rays.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Linked to coral bleaching and endocrine disruption concerns. Widely restricted in reef-sensitive regions.

SunSafe® Tags
Reef, Endocrine, UV Filter

2. Octinoxate

What it is
A chemical UV filter that protects against UVB rays.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Associated with coral reef damage and potential hormone disruption.

SunSafe® Tags
Reef, Endocrine, UV Filter

3. Octocrylene

What it is
A UV filter used to stabilise other sunscreen ingredients.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Can degrade into benzophenone, a compound of concern for human and environmental health.

SunSafe® Tags
Persistence, Endocrine, UV Filter

4. Homosalate

What it is
A chemical UV filter used in many SPF formulations.

Why it’s on The Watch List

Detected as a systemic UV filter (absorbed into the body in studies)
Shows endocrine activity signals in laboratory research, prompting ongoing scientific review
Often used at higher concentrations to achieve SPF targets, increasing total exposure potential
Included in current regulatory reassessment discussions in multiple regions
Frequently appears in daily-use sunscreen products, increasing repeated exposure relevance

SunSafe® Tags
Endocrine, UV Filter, endocrine disrupter, chemical sunscreen, hybrid sunscreen, homoslate

5. Avobenzone

What it is
A UVA-filtering chemical sunscreen ingredient.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Photo-unstable on its own and often requires stabilisers, increasing formulation complexity and environmental load.

SunSafe® Tags
UVFilter, Persistence

6. Benzophenone-1 (and related compounds)

What it is
A UV stabiliser and degradation byproduct of some sunscreen filters.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Linked to endocrine disruption and environmental persistence.

SunSafe® Tags
#Endocrine, #Persistence

7. VP/Eicosene Copolymer

What it is
A synthetic film-forming agent that improves water resistance.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Does not readily biodegrade and may contribute to microplastic-type pollution.

SunSafe® Tags
Persistence chemical, PFAs

8. Acrylates Copolymer

What it is
A group of synthetic polymers used for film-forming and texture.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Associated with microplastic pollution due to environmental persistence.

SunSafe® Tags
Persistence chemical, PFAs

9. Silica Dimethyl Silylate

What it is
A modified mineral used to improve texture and create a matte finish.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Not biodegradable and contributes to environmental particulate load.

SunSafe® Tags
#Persistence

10. PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)

What it is
A group of chemicals used for water resistance and durability.

Why it’s on The Watch List
Highly persistent in the environment and linked to long-term health and ecological concerns.

SunSafe® Tags
#Persistence, #Endocrine

References

Country/region