Avobenzone's UV protection breaks down differently depending on how concentrated it is in a formula and what other ingredients surround it. Higher concentrations actually showed better long-term sun protection in tests using simulated sunlight, suggesting formulators can improve avobenzone's real-world performance by adjusting how much they use and what they mix it with.

Researchers used two approaches: ultrafast spectroscopy to watch how avobenzone behaves at the molecular level when hit with UVA light (in millionths of a second), plus real-world sunlight tests on finished oil blends to measure actual SPF and UVA protection over time.

Funding not disclosed in abstract