Developing successful sunscreens, in particular sunscreens with high SPF numbers is not an easy task. A modern sunscreen should be of highest protection performance and should deliver an acceptable sensory experience in order to appeal to consumers. It should be affordable and, last but not least, most compatible with our ecosystem. Formulating a sunscreen means therefore making the best out of those sometimes contradicting parameters. On top, the design process must be quick and inexpensive, meaning it should not consume too much time and laboratory work on trial and error and should in particular not require too many Sun Protection Factor (SPF) in vivoclaim iterations. An in silicopredictive tool can become very handy here.
Basics for calculation of sunscreen performance values
Calculating performance parameters like SPF for a given sunscreen composition seems at first glance easy if the absorption spectra are known utilising Lambert-Beers Law