Seeking Technology Boosting Sun Protective Factor (SPF) Performances

• A material
• A product or a technology

A SpecialChem Client requires a technology to optimize the performance of UV filters from its formulation. Technologies that could enhance usual UV filters are also of interest.

To protect the skin from sun radiations, current market products rely on UV filters (both UVA and UVB). These UV filters must be stable within formulation and evenly spread on skin surface to fully protect the skin from sun exposure. In order to reach the minimum required performances, emulsions of oil in water are typically used.

The oil content however (including majority of sunscreen, emollients, polymers etc.) doesn’t deliver a pleasant sensory experience. The SpecialChem Client wants to improve their formulation by lowering amount of oil as much as possible, maximizing sensory feel, and minimizing cost.

This can be done either by improving the efficiency of common UV filters on market today, or by the use of novel UV filters easily dispersible in a water-phase of the emulsion.

The benefits sought are a better sensory experience for users, together with better utilization of UV filters and raw material costs.

• Additives to current formulation must be compatible with common sunscreen materials:
  • Current in market product can include: Aqua, Ester, Emollient, Alcohol, UVA-B sun filter, Ketons, Glyceryl Esters, Emulsifier, Film former, Fats and oil, Silicone, Skin conditioning, Heterocyclic compound, Ether, Amide, Parfum, Phenols, Preservative, Phosphorus compound, Rheology Modifier, Anti-oxidant, Vitamin A, Acrylates, Tetrasodium EDTA, Potassium hydroxide
  • Have the type of ingredients that may be beneficial, typically including film formers, emulsifiers, emollients, particulates and any other.
• Must be approved by regulations or with the potential to be:
  • Suitable for EU and FDA regulations.
  • No CMR 1A, 1B or 2.
  • Solutions suitable for a wider regulations environment are a plus.
• Performances
  • To achieve target SPFs at 15, 30 & 50+ with UVA 5* using minimum sunscreen/oil contents as listed above.
  • Initial proof of principle based on relevant in-vivo SPF testing methods.
  • Must improve current cost-ratio from usual SPF materials.
  • Must not have negative impact on sensory texture when tested single variably.
  • Improvement on sensory texture would be a plus.

• Modification of formulation rheology
• Addition of solids/particles which alter the way that UV light interacts with the film
• Manipulation/control of the product film on the skin
• For emulsions – manipulation of droplet size
• Improved photo-stabilization through solvents
• Enhanced solubility of UV filters

Solutions should not directly absorb/reflect UV rays to the extent that it would be considered a UV filter in its own right.

• Proven Concepts
• Ready-to-use solutions
• Co-development partners

• Licensing
• Contractual partnership (R&D, marketing…)
• Funding