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Coumarin

What Coumarin is & what it does

A warm, hay-like fragrance compound found in tonka bean and other plants. It adds scent and is a labeled fragrance allergen.

What is Coumarin and what does it do in sunscreen?

Coumarin is a fragrance compound with a warm, sweet, hay-like scent, found naturally in tonka bean, sweet clover and other plants. In a sunscreen it is part of the fragrance, helping shape how the product smells. It does not contribute to sun protection or skin care; it is purely a scent ingredient.

Is Coumarin a recognized fragrance allergen?

Yes. Coumarin is one of the fragrance substances that must be named separately on a cosmetic label because it can cause allergic reactions in a small number of people. That is why you often see it listed by name rather than hidden inside the word "fragrance" or "parfum". For most people it is well tolerated, but those with a known fragrance allergy may want to avoid it.

Is Coumarin safe?

For most people, yes, at the low levels used in cosmetics. Its main relevance is that it is a labeled fragrance allergen, so a minority of people can react to it with redness or irritation. If you have sensitive or reactive skin or a known fragrance allergy, a fragrance-free sunscreen is the simpler choice. Otherwise it is a common, well-understood scent ingredient.

Does Coumarin clog pores?

No. Coumarin is a fragrance compound used in tiny amounts, not an oil or wax, so it is not considered comedogenic. If you are breaking out, the richer emollients and oils elsewhere in a formula are far more likely the cause. The concern with coumarin is allergy and irritation, not clogged pores.

What else is Coumarin called?

On an ingredient list it appears simply as "Coumarin". It occurs naturally in plants like tonka bean and sweet clover, and is also made synthetically for use in perfumes and cosmetics. Both the natural and synthetic forms are the same molecule and are labeled the same way.

Sunscreens with Coumarin

We rate 180 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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