Meradimate
A rarely used US UVA filter.
Banned in
- Palau
Also excluded where only mineral sunscreen is allowed
- Maui County
- Hawaiʻi County
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
Meradimate 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)
Why it’s regulated
The FDA's 2021 proposed sunscreen order put meradimate in its not-GRASE group because the public record lacked enough data, and FDA says this is not a conclusion that the ingredient is unsafe. The order is still a proposal, and FDA says it will address the other proposals in future orders.
What the reef research says
No coral, larval or other marine toxicity study of meradimate was found in the sources we reviewed, so lab doses cannot be compared with real-world levels. A 2021 critical review of organic UV filters and corals lists meradimate in its ingredient table. The sources read do not report measured seawater or coral concentrations for it.
- FDA: Questions and answers on FDA's regulatory actions on over-the-counter sunscreen
- A Critical Review of Organic Ultraviolet Filter Exposure, Hazard, and Risk to Corals (Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2021; doi:10.1002/etc.4948)
- 21 CFR 352.10, Sunscreen active ingredients (eCFR; ensulizole, meradimate, octinoxate and octisalate appear under their revised names in the stayed 2002 amendment)
Products that contain it (1)
Search these products that list meradimate →
Related ingredients: Avobenzone, Ecamsule (Mexoryl SX), Padimate O
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.