There are provided: an ultraviolet light absorber that has a sufficient UV-A and UV-B shielding effect, can be colored naturally to suit the color of the skin when applied to the skin, and can be favorably applied even to races with dark skin colors and a cosmetic material using such an ultraviolet light absorber. The ultraviolet light absorber is one produced by substituting, at 10% or less, at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Hf, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, La, and In into either A or B, or both of them, in a compound expressed by a general formula ABO4 (where A represents In, Bi, Ga, or Gd and B represents Ta, Nb, or V).
