What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Octisalate safe on skin (left on)?

Q: Is octisalate safe on skin (left on)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, octisalate on skin (left on) rates Low: a little concern, nothing the app would ask you to swap. 2 sourced concerns count (endocrine, emerging tier; irritant · allergen, emerging tier). 1 finding count in its favour. This is research with sources, not medical advice.

Personal care1 use researched3 sourced claims

Where it turns up: chemical uvb filter in sunscreens. Detox My Life researched octisalate under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, left on	Clean	Low	Low	2 · 1

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog has no entry tied to this ingredient yet. When you scan a product that contains it, the app suggests cleaner alternative types for that product; the swap categories list what the catalog covers today.

On skin, left on Low

Under the default Cautious lens octisalate on skin (left on) rates Low: a little concern, nothing the app would ask you to swap. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Clean; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Low. Researched 2026-09-03.

Sourced concerns (2)

EmergingEndocrineconfidence 50%

Octisalate has shown weak estrogenic activity in cell assays and potential anti-androgenic properties, and may affect thyroid hormone signaling, though human studies have not shown significant hormonal effects at normal dosages.

Why here: Systemic absorption after dermal leave-on application allows the ingredient to enter the bloodstream and potentially interact with the endocrine system.
What would have to be true: Dermal application of products containing octisalate, especially with repeated daily use.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

1 web article (clinikally.com), linked in the app.
1 community or commercial page, not counted here.

EmergingIrritant · allergenconfidence 50%

Octisalate has been linked to allergic contact dermatitis in some individuals, although it is generally regarded as having a low risk of causing skin irritation.

Why here: Direct contact with the skin in leave-on products can trigger allergic or irritant reactions in susceptible individuals.
What would have to be true: Dermal application of products containing octisalate.

Sources the engine cites:

Allergic contact dermatitis from octisalate and cis-3-hexenyl salicylate — PubMed (2006) · regulator or public body

In its favour (1)

ConsensusClearedconfidence 50%

The US FDA has approved octisalate for use in sunscreens at a maximum concentration of 5%, but has proposed that it is not "Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective" (GRASE) due to insufficient data, requesting more safety information on its systemic absorption and effects. It is approved at up to 5% in the EU.

Why here: This is a direct regulatory stance on its use in dermal leave-on products (sunscreens).
What would have to be true: Dermal application in sunscreens at concentrations up to 5% (US/EU).

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

2 web articles (clinikally.com, Paula's Choice), linked in the app.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for octisalate when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play