MCE (UVMune 400 / Mexoryl 400)

What is it?

A UVA1 (370-400nm) sunscreen filter developed to close the photoprotection gap left by conventional UV filters, which absorb only up to about 370nm; approved by the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and marketed under trade names including Mexoryl 400 and UVMune 400.

What does it do?

According to PubMed, a 2021 in vitro and randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04865094) found sunscreens enriched with MCE extended UV absorption up to 400nm and reduced UVA1-induced dermal and epidermal alterations and pigmentation compared to reference sunscreens (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100070). Two further outdoor randomized intra-individual comparative trials, in 113 Brazilian and Chinese women (2023) and 52 Brazilian women (2025), found sunscreens with added MCE significantly reduced sun-induced pigmentation, wrinkles and other facial ageing signs compared to the same sunscreen without MCE (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.19486 and DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/phpp.13020). A 2026 case report also documented allergic contact sensitization to MCE (reported under the trade name Mexoryl 400) alongside other UV filters, a real safety signal worth disclosing alongside its efficacy data (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.70244).

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