Cosmetic ingredient dictionary
Zinc Oxide in cosmetics: what it is and what it does
Zinc Oxide 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. It is vegan. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 208 products, most often sunscreen.
By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check
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What does Zinc Oxide do in a product?
In a cosmetic product, Zinc Oxide filters UV light to protect the skin, gives the product or the skin colour and adds volume to a powder. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: UV filter, cosmetic colorant, bulking, skin protecting and UV absorber.
What other names and numbers does Zinc Oxide have?
- CAS number
- 1314-13-2
- EC number
- 215-222-5
- CosIng reference
- 38968
Is Zinc Oxide restricted in the EU?
It is allowed, on a list with limits. The EU lists it as an allowed colorant, with its own conditions of use (Annex IV of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 144). The EU lists it as an allowed UV filter, with a maximum amount (Annex VI of Regulation 1223/2009, entries 30 and 30a).
The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.
Is Zinc Oxide vegan?
Yes. Open Beauty Facts records nothing from an animal in Zinc Oxide.
Which products contain Zinc Oxide?
Open Beauty Facts finds Zinc Oxide in the ingredient lists of 208 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often sunscreen and toothpastes.
Products with it, by country of sale: France 57 · Germany 19 · Spain 19 · Turkey 14.
Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Zinc Oxide turns up, not how much of the market it is.
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’.
- European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
- Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
- 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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