Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA

Ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA is a chemical primarily used in sunscreens.

Skin contact with ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA is required for it to cause a rash. Discontinuation of exposure to products containing ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA should result in improvement and/or resolution of your dermatitis. By law, all products made in the U.S. for topical use have the ingredients listed either on the product package or the box that contains it. Check the labeling of your skin

care products for this ingredient. If there is not enough information, ask your pharmacist or retailer or contact the company directly. At work, request a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to help identify sources of exposure.

You may be allergic or photoallergic to ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA. If photoallergic, you may not react to ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA alone, but only with light exposure. In either case you should avoid contact with this agent and with related PABA derivatives. This includes PABA, padimate A (amyl dimethyl PABA), glycerol PABA. To avoid these chemicals, you must be instructed to read the labels of all protective agents as well as the other products listed previously and substitute these agents with oxybenzone, sulisobenzone,

cinnamates, dibenzoylmethane, or salicylates. Many such “PABA-free” products are available.

Some medications are chemically similar to ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA. You may want to discuss with your health care provider if you should avoid these as well:

Ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA is a PABA derivative that is used as a UVB absorbing agent in sunscreens. Of the PABA group, it is the most commonly used agent in sunscreens marketed in the United States.