How to analyse the environmental impact of sunscreens

Environmental awareness continues to grow and is now even a driver of the sun care category. It increasingly determines the choices of today’s consumers, which is why it’s important to develop more sustainable solutions for sun care. By Marcel Schnyder, head of BASF’s global technical centre for sun care

More and more people are willing to adapt their consumption behaviour with regard to the environmental consequences of the products they use. This also applies to cosmetics.As part of this development, the potential impact sunscreens may have on various ecosystems has received a great deal of attention, especially the wellbeing of corals and coral reefs. The adverse effects of sunscreen ingredients on these underwater eco-systems,marine life, endocrine disruption and bioaccumulation have reached a high level of awareness and are widely discussed in the media. We expect this trend to continue or even accelerate and it’s highly likely that the demand for eco-friendly sun protection products will rise significantly in the future.

As a result, the personal care industry is being asked to find solutions. Additionally, consumers are asking which ingredients are safe and what is the impact on the environment when all the ingredients are put together to make a formulation?

NEW MATRIX EVALUATION SYSTEM

Until recently, no transparent or scientifically sound system to rank and potentially improve the environmental impact of a given formulation has been available on the market. As a global market leader in sun care ingredients, BASF has developed a matrix evaluation system to measure the impact of sunscreen components on the environment.

The EcoSun Pass fromBASF Care Creations is a methodology to assess the environmental impact of UV filters used in sunscreen formulations. Using a completely new approach, it allows for the holistic and transparent assessment of UV filters with regard to their environmental impact based on internationally recognised criteria. It not only considers environmental factors for individual UV filters, but also provides a comprehensive environmental evaluation of the entire filter system within a sunscreen product. This comprises eight different parameters, including the acute and chronic aquatic toxicity of a substance, e.g. the intrinsic capability of a substance to cause damage to aquatic organisms after short- or long-term exposure.

Did you know?

The EcoSun Pass was recently awarded the BSB Innovation Prize 2020 in the category Concepts. An initial group of customers are also using BASF’s EcoSun Pass as a marketing tool, displaying the EcoSun Pass label on their sun care packaging as a verification symbol. Visit www.carecreations.basf.com/ecosun-pass for more info.

RATING AND RANKING SUBSTANCES

The bioaccumulation potential of a substance is assessed using a two-step approach with the octanol/water partitioning coefficient (log POW) as an initial screening criterion, followed by more profound data (i.e. bioaccumulation studies).

Another aspect, which is part of the assessment of our EcoSun Pass, is the biodegradation of a substance, e.g. the breaking down of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, and how quickly this happens.

The endocrine-related impact of a substance or indication that it may disrupt the hormone systems of organisms are also evaluated and form part of the assessment. Moreover, the EcoSun Pass considers the effects of a substance on terrestrial flora and fauna as well as the damage it may cause to sediment-dwelling organisms.

A specific environmental ranking is assigned to each substance and all ecoranked substances in a given formulation are then rated on an open-ended scale.

We created an algorithm to calculate the effect of a sunscreen formulation on the environment which takes the eight parameters into account for each UV filter. The EcoSun Pass value for any given formulation is normalised for its sun protection factor. This basically prevents sunscreens from being rated ‘poor’ because of their high efficacy and filter concentration. Therefore, the higher the EcoSun Pass value for a formulation, the more environmentally friendly it is.

BASF’s goal is to support customers to meet the increasing demand for more sustainable products formulated with environmentally friendly ingredients

The assessment of these different aspects of environmental impact provides customers with a comprehensive evaluation of their filter systems, allowing formulators to develop sunscreens with the highest degree of environmental compatibility without compromising on performance.

AN INDEPENDENT SOLUTION

The EcoSun Pass can already be used in the early development phase of a sunscreen product, allowing the eco-friendliest product to be brought to market. BASF’s goal is to support customers to meet the increasing demand for more sustainable products formulated with environmentally friendly ingredients.

The evaluation system is based on the latest scientific findings, which improve regulatory acceptance. What’s more, the coun Pass works entirely independently of the BASF product portfolio. In a given formulation, UV filters from various producers are assessed transparently and possible formulation improvements may or may not involve BASF ingredients.

One approach to formulating sunscreens with improved environmental compatibility is to select the most efficient UV filters with better environmental profiles and use the lowest possible concentrations. This also makes formulations as light as possible without lowering the level of performance or efficacy. Success proves that this is the right approach.

For BASF, consumers’ growing environmental consciousness will remain an important driver to continue developing sustainable and greener solutions that don't compromise on performance. •

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marcel Schnyder has 40 years’ experience in the home and personal care industries. For more than 10 years now, he has been responsible for the sun care global technical centre and established the technical support on UV filters for Ciba and, after integration, for BASF. Schnyder is member of the German IFSCC and has presented papers at international congresses such as in-cosmetics, ABC and Coschem Scientific Congress.

BASF Care Creations – www.carecreations.basf.com