Formulate sun protection cosmetics with a strong environmental narrative

Originally focused on UV radiation defence, today light protection has evolved beyond the primary focus of beach and holiday products. This evolution has seen the sun care category being revamped to include finished products with a strong environmental narrative, and which promise to protect skin from the negative effects of infra-red and even visible and blue light.

Symrise has been pioneering skin protection for over 80 years. As a result, the company offers a broad portfolio of ingredients to meet consumers’ changing needs for sun and light protection.

While providing the best possible protection will always be the central goal of sun care offerings, Symrise recognises that consumers are increasingly demanding more from the products they use. By harnessing the power of its cross-divisional capabilities, the company can also offer the most appealing scents and enjoyable cosmetic textures for use in designing next level sun protection products. Its regional application laboratories provide support to customers, both in South Africa and worldwide, in the formulation of sun care products that meet local market needs.

BROAD-SPECTRUM ABSORBER BLEND

Symrise’s Neo Heliopan range of sun protection materials comprises solutions for UVA, UVB and broad-spectrum protection, enabling the company to provide impactful solutions across various market demands.

The newest product in this range is the highly effective broad-spectrum absorber blend, Neo Heliopan Flat. It delivers a relatively flat, uniform absorbance of light in the range of 300nm to 360nm. Neo Heliopan Flat is liquid and therefore easy to handle and dose. It can be used in a wide range of applications from lotions and creams to sprays, oils and balms. The technology also reduces manufacturing complexities, making it suitable for all processes and emulsions, namely hot/hot, hot/cold, cold/cold and all-in-one pot manufacturing. A formulation inspiration for an SPF 50+sunscreen lotion is included in Table 1.

NEW STANDARDS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable sunscreen formulations are also akey area of focus for Symrise. With SymEffectSun, the company is setting new standards for sustainability in sun protection cosmetics.

Cosmetics manufacturers are faced with the challenge of having to develop modern sunscreen products, which are not only highly effective but also meet the increasing sustainability requirements of consumers. Many consumers want responsibly sourced, eco-friendly ingredients as alternatives to traditional raw materials. But the formulation performance, stability, and sensorial attributes still need to be similar to products designed with traditional ingredients.

As this conundrum is also applicable to sun protection products, Symrise has succeeded in overcoming the challenge with the functional ingredient SymEffect Sun. So innovative, it received first prize in the Functionals category at the BSB Innovation Awards 2020, which were presented virtually. This recognition underscores Symrise’s role as an industry leader in innovation and strengthens its strategy of promoting sustainability as an integral part of its business model.

BASED ON RENEWABLE SOURCES

“SymEffect Sun takes a decisive step towards more sustainability and naturalness in sun protection cosmetics. The ingredient is based entirely on renewable raw materials from responsible sources,” says Lars Jung, senior global product manager functionals at Symrise.“Winning first place motivates us to continue to set high goals for ourselves and to work on innovative products whose environmental impact is kept as low as possible.”

This functional ingredient pursues a 360° approach, offering a holistic way to meet the multiple challenges of modern sunscreen products. It comes from natural sources, increases the efficiency of the UV filters and improves formulation stability. It also significantly improves water resistance and ensures a pleasant skin feeling after application of a sun protection product. •

Symrise – www.symrise.com