Latest developments in sun care

By Daniel Whitby - Cornelius Group, UK - The first sun care ingredients were believed to have been introduced in the late nineteenth century leading to the eventual launch of the sun care brands, Hamilton’s Sunburn Creams and Ambre Solaire in the early to mid-1930s.

The purpose of these early products was to allow the user to develop a healthy looking tan without burning, with some usage information even advising ‘apply before sun-baking’ so the message definitely was not based on safe sun practices. By the 1960s the concept of sun protection factors (SPFs) had been developed and links between sun exposure and skin cancer were being reported, though even into the 1970s products were still claiming that they allowed the user to tan without burning.1 Over the years our knowledge of the long term harmful effects of exposure to UV radiation has increased and, combined with the launch of several new sunscreens, today’s products provide broad spectrum protection allowing for high SPFs with a decent level of UVA protection. Sun care manufacturers have played a major part in educating the general public in the dangers of sun exposure and the need to avoid prolonged exposure, while at the same time developing well formulated sun products which are easy to apply and quickly absorbed. The importance of protecting the skin from the sun in terms of premature ageing has also come to the fore and it is widely recognised that UVA in particular leads to the early formation of wrinkles and sagging of the skin through the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibres, uneven skin tone, age spots (or solar lentigines) and capillary damage leading to increased redness.2 All of these will appear over time as a result of chronological ageing but these processes are significantly increased by exposure to UV throughout our lifetime.3 For many years now we have seen UV filters used across categories such as skin care, colour cosmetics and hair care, with many daily moisturisers now containing UVA and UVB filters and making SPF and UVA protection claims alongside anti-wrinkle, hydration, etc. claims. The following article takes a look at some of the recent activity in the sun care sector with regards to launches, trends, research and publications.

Textures

In the skin care category an oft-repeated mantra is that “textures are key”, how the product feels and acts on the skin is one of the key product attributes and consumer drivers. This was true even in the past when night creams were always heavier and more greasy than day creams which tended to be lighter and more easily absorbed. Previously many brands used, for example, the same fragrance across their ranges as a ‘signature’, the fragrance being instantly associated with the brand in the consumer’s mind. Today, textures may be used in a similar way with consumers expecting a serum to have a different feel to a facial day cream which will be different to a body cream, etc. Traditionally sun care products have been perceived as being greasy, heavy, tacky and difficult to rub into the skin. This is partly historical, as many products are now available in various formats such as sprays which, in terms of skin aesthetics, perform much better. Also, as formulators have strived for higher SPFs with broad spectrum protection, the oil phase loading in products has increased, not only due to the higher levels of filter used but also the amounts of emollients needed to solubilise the filters to overcome crystallisation and ensure maximum efficacy, making it difficult to resolve this issue. Luckily with the launch of water phase filters such as BASF’s Tinosorb M and Tinosorb S Aqua along with emollients such as Cetiol B and Cetiol CC, solutions are available. Recently we have seen many leading sun care brands including subranges which specifically make claims about their textures. Examples include the Boots product range of Soltan Light and Soft Ultra-Light Textures, products delivering ultra-light skin feel which rubs in easily for a silky after-feel and the Nivea Sun Light Feeling lotion range which ‘combines Nivea Sun’s advanced protection expertise with an innovative light texture’. It should also be noted that sun care products designed specifically for use on the face usually use lighter esters to ensure a pleasant skin feel. As well as having an improved skin feel these products may help to improve one of the longstanding issues with sun care products – compliance. Sun care products are SPF tested in vivo using a product application rate of 2 mg/cm2, a rate which under everyday circumstances is high. As a general rule of thumb, the actual SPF a product provides during use is one third of that stated on pack, due to the fact that during actual use the application rate is a lot lower than that used in the in vivo test.4 Most sun products also need to be regularly reapplied which, again, may not happen during real life use of the products. A recent UK survey looking at the attitude of teenagers to cosmetics and personal care products identified that at least 35% of them did not use sun products with one of the main reasons for this being the products’ greasy feel.5 The challenge for the formulator is therefore to provide products which have a pleasant sensory perception and are easy to spread, resulting in the consumer applying a higher application thickness on to their skin and ensuring the product performs as stated on pack.6

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