Ecamsule

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Ecamsule

Chemical formula	C₂₈H₃₄O₈S₂
Molar mass	562.695 g mol⁻¹
Systematic name	3,3'-(1,4-phenylenedimethylidyne)bis(7,7-dimethyl- 2-oxobicyclo(2.2.1)heptane-1-methanesulfonic acid
Complete data

Ecamsule (USAN, trade name Mexoryl® SX, INCI Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid) is a chemical which is added to many sunscreens to filter out UVA rays. It is known as one of the most effective UVA filtering ingredients in sunscreens today. Although there are a few different UV absorbers with the trade name Mexoryl, only two of them are widely used where approved. Mexoryl SX (water soluble) and Mexoryl XL (oil soluble). The patents are held by L'Oréal.

In order for a sunscreen to be truly effective it must protect skin from both UVB rays, which cause sunburn, and UVA rays, which cause long-term damage but not short-term impact. There is no official rating for UVA protection. The UVB range is 280 to 320 nanometers, and the UVA range is 320 to 400.

Ecamsule protects against UV wavelengths in the 290–400 nanometer range, with a maximum of 344 nm. Since ecamsule doesn't cover the entire UV spectrum, it should be combined with other active sunscreen agents to ensure broad spectrum UV protection. Ecamsule is a photostable organic UVA absorber, meaning it doesn't degrade significantly when exposed to light. This is in contrast to the widely used UVA absorber avobenzone that is not intrinsically photostable and requires photostabilizers to prevent significant degradation in light. [1][2] [3]

Because ecamsule is an acid it needs to be neutralized in order to be used without offsetting the final pH of the sunscreen too much. Usually this is done with triethanolamine.

Sunscreens based on ecamsule have been available in Canada, Europe and other parts of the world since 1993, and was just recently given approval by the FDA in the U.S. [4]