Enzacamene (
INN
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...
; also known as 4-methylbenzylidene camphor or 4-MBC) is an organic
camphor derivative
In mathematics, the derivative of a function of a real variable measures the sensitivity to change of the function value (output value) with respect to a change in its argument (input value). Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus. ...
that is used in the
cosmetic industry for its ability to protect the
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
against
UV, specifically UV B radiation. As such, it is used in
sunscreen lotion
Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to the skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clean ...
s and other skincare products claiming a SPF value. Its tradenames include Eusolex 6300 (
Merck) and Parsol 5000 (
DSM).
Mechanism
All the camphor-derived sunscreens dissipate the photon energy by
cis-trans isomerisation. However, for enzacamene the quantum yield for this isomerization is only between 0.13-0.3. This low quantum yield means that other photochemical processes are also occurring.
Endocrine disruptor
Studies have raised the issue that enzacamene acts as an
endocrine disruptor. There is controversy about the
estrogen
Estrogen or oestrogen is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three major endogenous estrogens that have estrogenic hormonal ac ...
ic effects of enzacamene and while one study showed only a relatively minor effect. In addition, there is some evidence that enzacamene may suppress the pituitary-thyroid axis, leading to
hypothyroidism.
Approval status
Enzacamene is approved in Canada by
Health Canada. It is not approved for use in the United States by the
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
and it is not permitted in Japan nor in Denmark.
See also
*
Xenoestrogen
Xenoestrogens are a type of xenohormone that imitates estrogen. They can be either synthetic or natural chemical compounds. Synthetic xenoestrogens include some widely used industrial compounds, such as PCBs, BPA, and phthalates, which have estr ...
References
{{Xenobiotic-sensing receptor modulators
Sunscreening agents
Enones
4-Tolyl compounds