Amiloxate (IMC)
A cinnamate UVB filter used outside the US.
Banned in
- Palau
Also excluded where only mineral sunscreen is allowed
- Maui County
- Hawaiʻi County
Not approved in the US, so US sunscreens do not contain it.
Where it’s restricted
Named in the law or guidance
| Location | Status | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Palau law text ↗ | In force | January 1, 2020 |
Also not allowed under mineral-only rules
Amiloxate (IMC) isn’t named in these laws, but they allow only mineral (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) sunscreens, so a product containing it is excluded anyway.
- Maui County (Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi) (in force since October 1, 2022)
- Hawaiʻi County (Big Island) (in force since December 1, 2022)
What the reef research says
Mitchelmore et al. (2019) found amiloxate below the limit of detection in sediment at sites near coral reefs, as tabulated in a 2021 critical review of UV filters and corals. A 2025 study of Polish freshwater recreational lakes found it among the main contributors to moderate cumulative risk, with localized high-risk values at Kryspinów, but those sites were freshwater, not reef. In a controlled off-site experiment with surface water in natural light, O’Malley et al. (2021) estimated a 6.6 hour half-life for amiloxate. No coral toxicity study of amiloxate was found in the sources read for this entry, so its effect on corals is unknown.
Sources (4)
- O'Malley et al. 2021, Sci Total Environ 754:142373 (PubMed record)
- Stolecka et al. 2025, Water Res 279:123423 (PubMed record)
- Mitchelmore et al. 2021, Environ Toxicol Chem: critical review of organic UV filter exposure, hazard and risk to corals (PMC)
- FDA: Questions and answers on FDA regulatory actions on over-the-counter sunscreen
What to look for instead
Related ingredients: Octinoxate, Octocrylene
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.