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Aluminum Hydroxide

What Aluminum Hydroxide is & what it does

A mineral commonly used to coat pigments and filters so they disperse evenly and feel smooth. It also acts as a mild opacifier.

What is Aluminum Hydroxide and what does it do in sunscreen?

Aluminum Hydroxide is a mineral powder used mainly to coat pigments and UV filters so they disperse evenly and feel smooth on the skin. In a sunscreen it helps the filters spread in a uniform film and can act as a mild opacifier, adding a touch of whiteness or coverage. It is a formulation aid rather than an active, so it works on the surface and supports texture and even protection.

Is Aluminum Hydroxide safe?

Yes. It is a widely used, well-tolerated mineral coating and opacifier in cosmetics, and it sits on the skin rather than penetrating. Despite the name, this is aluminum hydroxide used as an inert powder, not the aluminum salts found in antiperspirants, and it is not absorbed in any meaningful amount from a sunscreen. For most people it is non-irritating at the small levels used to coat pigments and filters.

Does Aluminum Hydroxide clog pores?

Generally no. It is an inert mineral powder used in small amounts to coat other particles, not a heavy oil or wax, so it is not a typical pore-clogging ingredient. If a product breaks you out, the richer emollients and oils elsewhere in the formula are far more likely the cause than this coating mineral.

Is Aluminum Hydroxide a UV filter?

No. Aluminum Hydroxide does not absorb or block UV light on its own, so it is not a sunscreen active. Its job is to coat the actual filters and pigments, such as the mineral UV filters or tints, so they disperse evenly and feel smoother. The sun protection comes from the listed UV filters, not from this ingredient.

What is Aluminum Hydroxide on an ingredient list (INCI)?

"Aluminum Hydroxide" is the INCI name printed on the label. On an ingredient list it usually appears in the middle or lower section, often near the pigments or mineral filters it is there to coat. Seeing it on a sunscreen label is normal and simply indicates a coated-particle system for smoother, more even dispersion.

Sunscreens with Aluminum Hydroxide

We rate 1191 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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