backsideattack:

benzaldehyde + acetone via an aldol condensation mechanism —> dibenzylideneacetone, or dba

if you synth this in lab and are pleasantly surprised to find that, unlike most of your organic products, it doesn’t hellishly burn your nasal passages as you catch a whiff, that’s because it’s a) a ketone and b) an ingredient used in sunscreen - its conjugated double bonds allow it to absorb a significant amount of UV-A light.

(via centralscience)