A healthy and young-looking skin starts with the right sun protection. Sunscreen products are designed to deliver effective UV protection against both UVA and UVB rays, helping to minimize skin damage caused by prolonged UV radiation exposure. Their efficacy is typically expressed through the sun protection factor (SPF), a key indicator of protection performance.
Sunscreen is used to protect the skin from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation and comes in many forms, including lotion, cream, gel, and spray. Sunscreen is applied to the skin before going outside and should be reapplied every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.
Creating either a sunscreen product with a high enough SPF or a daily skin care product with SPF rating to provide effective protection from UV rays can be linked to solving a jigsaw puzzle; the formulation process can be tricky, difficult and often lead you in unexpected directions.
Depending on the active ingredients and other base ingredients used, formulators might face significant aesthetic, stability and performance challenges when trying to formulate high SPF products. That's why improving the skin feel and spread of the sunscreen are key components for making sure that your sunscreen provides optimal sun protection. Moreover, consumers are increasingly embracing sustainability and natural cosmetics, raising expectations for sun care products that are as eco-conscious as they are effective.
How can we improve SPF, Skin Feel and Spreadability?
When formulating a sunscreen, it is essential to consider how it will perform on the skin. Sunscreens that provide high protection must also be comfortable to wear. Developing a successful sun care formulation requires balancing sensory appeal with performance. Modern consumers increasingly expect broad-spectrum protection combined with pleasant aesthetics and sustainable ingredient choices.
Here are some tips on how to improve the skin feel and spreadability of your sunscreen formula:
- Use emollients : Emollients are fatty substances that can be used to reduce tackiness, help the sunscreen spread more evenly and improve hydration. Look at our portfolio to choose the right emollient for your sunscreen formulation. There are various ingredients like for example LIPEX® SheaSolve™, HARMONIE™ NATUDERMA EMOLLIENT, Neossance™ Hemisqualane, Saboderm AB and many more.
- Use Film Former : Film formers enhance sunscreen performance by creating uniform, durable films on the skin. Technologies such as Nouryon's Structure® polymers, Dermacryl® film formers, Eastman AQ™ polymers, and SolAmaze® Natural improve UV filter distribution, SPF performance, water resistance, and long-lasting protection while maintaining desirable sensory properties. Film formers also contribute to better distribution of sunscreen agents on the skin, creating a more homogeneous protective layer and improving overall SPF performance through ingredient synergy.
Considerations When Selecting Other Ingredients for Sunscreen Formulations
In addition to UV filters, other ingredients such as antioxidants, preservatives, fragrances & colorants can affect the stability of your sunscreen formulation. Enhancing stability through pH adjustment can help maintain effectivity of active ingredients within the formulation. Actives protect the skin of UV damage before and after sunbathing. Plant extracts can help protect the skin barrier against photodegradation and oxidative stress. Pongamia Extract from Givaudan, a sustainable extract, rich in pongamol, natural powerful antioxidant, from the indian Karanja tree, can be perfectly used for this. Izayoi and Springmint are active ingredients from Ichimaru Pharcos that can also be used. They prevent sunburn and inhibits inflammation and improve skin elasticity, increase water content in stratum corneum and recover skin roughness. Antioxidants are particularly valuable because they help neutralize free radicals generated by sun exposure and environmental stressors. Combined with suitable actives, they support overall skin defense mechanisms beyond traditional sunscreen protection.
Optimizing viscosity with thickeners offers better spreadability on application. To create soft gels, to stabilize an emulsion or to prevent waxes crystallization our Estogelgreen from Solabia can be used. An alternative is our clear and transparent Xanthan Gum Safic´ Care T XG Clear P from our Safic' Care Range with great texturizing and thickening properties. Alginate can also be used as Thickening and Gelling with pseudoplastic behavior. Carrageenane are Gelling Agents with thixotropic behavior. Both stay clear in Ethanol based Sunscreen Sprays and there is no neutralization required. Ingredient selection should also consider product stability and shelf life, especially when formulating high-SPF products intended for long-term consumer use.
In order to ensure compatibility between all components within your formula you can use materials or agents that serve as emulsifiers. A perfectly adapted solution would be our cold-processable liquid emulsifier PELLICER™ LB-30G from Asahi Kasei. The Sabowax PIS from SABO is a water in oil emulsifier which can also be used for liquid emulsions, and the Sabowax GMS SE MB is based on glyceryl monostearate. Lastly, FLUIDIFEEL™ EASY from SEPPIC is a natural, cold processable O/W emulsifier adapted to a wide range of viscosity, leaving a light and pleasant after-feel, perfect for sun care products. Certain emulsification systems are particularly effective when incorporating a complex combination of UV filters, helping to maintain stability while optimizing protection and sensory performance.
Looking for a high-efficiency SPF Booster? Check out our selection of skin-safe and UVA-safe products for the perfect formulation.
Today, SPF booster is a game-changer in the world of sun protection. SPF boosters are special ingredients that are used to enhance the effectiveness of sunscreen products. These boosters help to increase the effectiveness of the sunscreen in providing protection from the sun's harmful rays. They are normally added to the formula in small amounts and can include ingredients such as the Covabead Crystal, the Sensi OP White and the Sensisorb Biomim from Sensient which all display a unique combination of light reflection properties and sensorial impact: SPF Boosting and Anti- Blue Light protection.
SPF boosters can enhance the interaction between different sunscreen agents, creating additional synergy within the formulation. This approach may help formulators reach target SPF levels while maintaining elegant sensory properties.
The Role of UV Filters in Sunscreen Formulations
Creating sunscreens with a high SPF rating brings both aesthetic and performance challenges for cosmetic formulators. Aesthetically, a product should spread easily and be pleasant to use, while performance-wise it must offer adequate protection from UV rays. While increasing the SPF level of sunscreens has traditionally been associated with a greasy texture and an unpleasant feel, selecting the right combination of ingredients can help you overcome these challenges. Effective sun care products should provide broad spectrum protection across a wide wavelength range to ensure defense against both short and long UV rays. Achieving balanced coverage of UVA and UVB radiation remains a key objective for formulators.
In sunscreen formulations, UV filters act as active ingredients that absorb or reflect UV light before it reaches the skin. These sunscreen agents can be classified as organic sunscreens or inorganic filters. A typical chemical sunscreen relies primarily on organic sunscreens, which absorb UV energy through a mechanism of absorption, while mineral filters provide protection through reflection and light scattering.
For instance Neo Heliopan® 357 and Neo Heliopan® 303 from Symrise; and physical filters, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Eco friendly ready to formulate UV Filter such as our Resconcept Sunscreen products like the RESCONCEPT SUN SPF 30 ECO REEF, RESCONCEPT SUN SPF 50 ECO REEF are designed to responsibly protect your skin and are ready to use. They are formulated with an eco-designed texture to avoid harm for corals all over the world. UV TiO2 AS and Oxyde de Zinc Mircopur AS from Sensient provides a highly hydrophobic, shear resistant coating and improves the water resistance. They are easily dispersible and photocatalytic stable with an improved SPF, easier spreadability and less whitening. UV Filter Dispersions are another easy to formulate solution such as the G-Block and S-Block range from Applechem by Solabia. These are low viscosity dispersions with no sedimentation or re-agglomeration with a higher transparency in sunscreen formulations. The performance of mineral UV filters is strongly influenced by particle size, which can affect transparency, SPF efficiency, skin feel and overall aesthetics. Carefully optimized particle size distribution can improve protection while minimizing whitening effects.
Advanced SPF testing helps formulators evaluate the efficiency of different organic and inorganic filter systems and confirm protection levels before market launch. Modern SPF testing protocols also support the development of products delivering reliable UV protection under real-world conditions.
After Sun Care: Revive & Refresh Your Skin with Our Premium Products
After sun is a type of product that is used to help soothe and cool the skin after it has been exposed to the sun. It can help to reduce the pain, redness, and swelling of sunburns, as well as help to rehydrate the skin and reduce peeling. After Sun can also be used to help protect the skin from further damage caused by the sun, such as premature aging or skin cancer. After-sun products are often enriched with soothing ingredients, moisturizers and natural oils to help restore skin comfort and reinforce the skin barrier following intense sun exposure.
It is usually applied directly to the skin and is made up of ingredients such as our Lava-Dermabiotics which is a Lava Sea water probiotic solution to strengthen the skin barrier. Another ingredient from Hyundai Bioland is Eucoolan which is an anti-thermal ageing ingredient. It inhibits thermal increase of skin and UV-induced sunburn pain as well as anti-inflammatory properties. DEXTRALIP® 10C is an exceptionally performing soothing active.
BisaboLife® and PrimalHyal™ Ultrafiller from Givaudan are also perfectly designed ingredients for after-sun applications.BisaboLife® helps calm irritated skin, reduce redness and support recovery after sun exposure. PrimalHyal™ Ultrafiller delivers intense hydration and improves skin comfort by replenishing moisture lost during sun exposure.
Achieving optimal Performance from your Sunscreen Formula
Creating a safe and effective sunscreen product requires special consideration for a variety of factors including skin feel, spreadability, stability and quality assurance testing. Creating a safe and effective sunscreen product requires special consideration for a variety of factors including skin feel, spreadability, stability and quality assurance testing. Successful sun care formulation development requires understanding the behavior of sunscreen agents, the selection of suitable organic and inorganic UV filters, and optimization through robust SPF testing. By carefully balancing filter systems across the relevant UV wavelength ranges, formulators can create products delivering reliable broad-spectrum protection while maintaining excellent aesthetics and consumer appeal.
Incorporating ingredients such as emollients and film-forming polymers into your sunscreen formula can help improve its comfort on the skin’s surface while increasing its efficacy in blocking UVA/UVB rays from damaging one’s skin. By carefully selecting combinations of organic and physical UV filters along with other ingredients such as antioxidants, preservatives, fragrances & colorants, one can create an optimal sunscreen formula that provides an effective level of protection while feeling comfortable on the skin.