Sunscreen compositions including a dibenzoylmethane derivative, such as
avobenzone, that are made more stable by the addition of (a) an -cyano-,-diphenylacrylate
compound, e.g., octocrylene and (b) a diester or polyester of naphthalene dicarboxylic
acid (diethylhexyl 2,6-naphthalate), having a weight ratio of (a)/(b) of at least
0.95, preferably at least about 1.0. More particularly, the invention relates to
sunscreen compositions which utilize a combination of octocrylene and diethylhexyl
2,6-naphthalate to stabilize other photoactive compounds present in a sunscreen
composition and, in particular, to stabilize dibenzoylmethane derivatives, without,
or with levels less than 0.5% by weight of, a methoxy-substituted benzophenone
derivative, such as benzophenone-3.
