Avobenzone

Avobenzone: sunscreen UV filter (UVA).

Avobenzone testing at Vanguard Laboratory: identity, purity and quantity $250 per sample, with results in 3 to 5 business days.

Structure

Avobenzone: 2D structure drawn from the PubChem record (CID 51040).

Compound data

CAS number

70356-09-1

Formula

C₂₀H₂₂O₃

Molecular weight

310.40 g/mol

Type

Sunscreen UV filter (UVA)

Structure and names

Identity: Avobenzone

IUPAC name: 1-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propane-1,3-dione

How Vanguard tests Avobenzone

Method for the $250 identity, purity and quantity test: HPLC-UV purity and assay, LC-MS identity, against a reference standard, with results in 3 to 5 business days.

The USP monograph covers identity by infrared spectroscopy and GC retention time, assay by GC, organic impurities by GC and loss on drying. Full testing to the USP Avobenzone monograph is available and quoted.

What's reported

Purity, as percent of total peak area
Quantity, against the label claim
Identity, reported as match or no match against the reference standard
With monograph testing (quoted): the monograph’s tests against its limits

Tests and prices

Purity and quantity

$250

Chromatographic purity and mg per unit by the method matched to the compound, identity against a reference standard. 1 unit.

Raw powder purity

$200

Chromatographic purity on bulk powder. 50 mg.

Add-on tests

Add-on test	Price
Identity and impurities
FTIR identity	$90
CHNS elemental analysis (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur)	$125
Chiral purity (where a chiral method exists; new methods quoted)	$250
Water, solvents and salt form
Water content by Karl Fischer	$60
Residual solvents	$150
Counterions: chloride, acetate and TFA	$70
Assay
Assay, % w/w (with raw powder purity; $250 together)	+$50
Metals and conformity
Heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead	$150
Conformity: purity and quantity on more units from the same lot	$100 per extra unit
Microbiology (injectables)
Endotoxin	$210
Sterility or bioburden	$150
Container closure integrity (CCI)	$50
Screening
Fentanyl screen	$50

10% off for 10 or more samples.

Need something else? Other tests are available on request.

Sample amount and turnaround

Purity and quantity is $250 per sample (1 unit) and raw powder purity is $200 for 50 mg, with results in 3 to 5 business days. Send the material sealed and labeled, with the label claim and the form it contains.

Salts, forms and compendial references

Avobenzone (CAS 70356-09-1)
Tell us the salt or form the label states, so quantity is reported on the same basis.

Questions about Avobenzone testing

Is the $250 test the same as USP monograph testing?

No. The $250 test covers identity, purity and quantity by HPLC with UV detection for purity and assay, and LC-MS for identity. Full testing to the USP Avobenzone monograph is available and quoted.

The USP uses GC for avobenzone. Why HPLC here?

Avobenzone absorbs UV light strongly, which makes HPLC-UV a sensitive and direct way to measure it, including in sunscreen formulas. The USP GC procedure is available and quoted for full monograph testing.

Does avobenzone break down in light?

Yes. Avobenzone is known to degrade under UV exposure, and its keto and enol forms shift in solution. Samples should be kept dark until testing.

Can it be tested in a finished sunscreen?

Yes, creams and lotions can be extracted and tested alongside other UV filters such as octocrylene or homosalate. Tell us the full list of active ingredients when you send it.

Sources

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/51040

Identity facts from the USP monograph header for this compound.

Order

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