Have you heard about latest controversy on Avene aka #avenegate related to sunscreen
Have you heard about the newest controversy on Avene SPF? Caroline Hirons made an Instastory on how Avene in the US (and probably UK) promoted their sunscreen as mineral oil free, octocrylene and oxybenzone free.
Avene is a French brand which in some countries we call cosmeceutical/dermocosmetic brand.
Are these ingredients bad? No, but marketing team of Avene in the US went a little bit into clean beauty I guess. Oxybenzone is a sunscreen agent that covers UVB and UVA rays (not all UVA, just a small spectrum from entire UVA spectrum). This ingredient usually helps to stabilise other sunscreens. Octocrylene protects from UVB and UVA II, it also stabilise other sunscreen substances and improved water resistance of cosmetics. Mineral oil or paraffinum liquidum is an emollient, the controversy around this ingredient is because its a refined petroleum. Should you be scared of it? No, since mineral oil and petroleum are two different substances but just like some surfactants are derived from coconut oil, some substances are derived from petroleum or other substances. Also, all chemical ingredients need to fit some requirements to be used in products.
What's the controversy about? While US Avene promotes their products as mineral oil, octocrylene and oxybenzone free - they sell products with such ingredients in Europe.
I wonder if you heard about it and what do you think about this case. Do you use Avene? Will you still support this brand after such an oopsie?