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Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate in cosmetics: what it is and what it does

Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate is a cosmetic ingredient that filters UV light to protect the skin. The EU lists it as an allowed UV filter, with a maximum amount. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 16 products, most often sunscreen.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check

What does Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate do in a product?

In a cosmetic product, Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate filters UV light to protect the skin and protects the product from UV light. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: UV filter and UV absorber.

UV filterUV absorber

What other names and numbers does Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate have?

CAS number
5997-53-5
CosIng reference
38029

Is Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate restricted in the EU?

It is allowed, on a list with limits. The EU lists it as an allowed UV filter, with a maximum amount (Annex VI of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 6).

The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.

Which products contain Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate?

Open Beauty Facts finds Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate in the ingredient lists of 16 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often sunscreen, anti-ageing face care and anti-wrinkle creams.

  • Sunscreen6
  • Anti-ageing face care1
  • Anti-wrinkle creams1

Products with it, by country of sale: France 9 · Switzerland 2 · Germany 1 · Sweden 1.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate turns up, not how much of the market it is.

On these listsUV filters

Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors

Sources

The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.

  1. European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
  2. Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
  3. EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)

Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check

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