These days, it’s an ingredient as common as purified water or glycerin—an ultraviolet protection  component such as oxybenzone or avobenzone used in skin care formulations. With the widespread news of the link between UV rays and rising skin cancer rates, more and more consumers are gravitating toward products infused with UV blockers and absorbers for daily protection against the elements. A recent study from The NPD Group, a market research firm based in Port Washington, NY, confirms the trend.
     
“More and more women are recognizing that preventing sun damage is a first line of defense against aging,” said Karen Grant, global industry analyst and vice president of beauty at NPD.  “The emergence of new technologies and higher levels of sun protection presents a continued opportunity for marketers to reach and engage younger women and raise awareness of the role sun protection plays in true anti-aging, namely, helping prevent the damage from happening in the first place.”
    
Furthermore, this recent report from NPD reveals that six out of 10 women say sun protection and SPF are extremely or very important, and six in 10 women use SPF 15 or higher sunscreen products.
    
“After moisturizing, sun protection is the most important benefit women look for in their facial skin care. Given its importance in the minds of consumers, this benefit is one marketers need to remember to continue highlighting in their product information along with all the new ingredients and formulas,” said Ms. Grant.
    

Mederma's scar treatment with SPF 30.

And sun protection is not just a seasonal accoutrement. Studies from the American Academy of Dermatology reveal that even as weather cools, the sun’s powerful rays pose a strong threat, contributing to skin cancers and premature aging of the skin.
   
“What most people don’t realize is that UVA rays are present all year, even on the cloudiest days, and they are able to penetrate glass,” noted Dr. Lydia Evans, a New York-based dermatologist.
 

Multi-Tasking Features

From CVS to Sephora, today’s consumers seek dual-purpose products such as sunscreen coupled with another benefit,  according to Javier Perez, product manager, Mederma, Merz Pharmaceuticals, Greensboro, NC, the marketer of Mederma Cream + SPF 30 that brings both scar therapy and sun protection together in one.
    
“SPF has become an added benefit for many beauty products—even hair products to protect colored hair from the sun. The goal is to combine the benefits of sun care products into one, making it easier to use on a daily basis,” he told Happi. “Not only does high-grade SPF keep the sun from damaging skin, many of these products are specially formulated to heal and repair skin that has been damaged in the past, and they contain the added benefit of SPF.”
    
Janice Lee, senior product manager, Kinerase, Aliso Viejo, CA, echoed Mr. Perez in that future-forward skin care needs to wear many hats to entice today’s shoppers.
   
“In the on-the-go world we live in today, consumers continue to seek out multi-tasking, multi-benefit products,” Ms. Lee said, citing Kinerase’s Daily Defense Lotion and Cream with SPF 30 as an example. The products pair the anti-aging treatment of the Kinerase original lotion and cream with the sun protecting benefits of SPF 30. The formula also protects skin from photo damage, reduces wrinkles and discoloration and visibly improves sun-damaged skin.

“SPF products that simultaneously protect and care for the skin will continue to reign in the skin care category as consumers become increasingly more aware of the sun’s damaging effects on skin,” said Ms. Lee.
    

Herbal day cream with SPF 15 from Ole Henriksen.

Suki Kramer, president and founder of Suki Inc., Northampton, MA, created a tinted moisturizer with SPF to meet the needs of a well-rounded market. “Busy schedules, tight wallets and more educated clients create a demand for products that multi-task. Our tinted active moisturizer SPF 15 is no exception.” The organic product aims to even skin tone, balance oil production and provide a safe sunscreen and natural coverage all at once.
    
“This is extremely valuable to women on the go—we developed an active skin care, SPF and makeup routine into one, seamless step,” said Ms. Kramer.  

Everyday Essentials

The use of broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreens in daily treatment products is also growing in popularity, according to Anthony Gonzalez, senior manager, skin care, global research and development products, Avon, Suffern, NY. He noted that Avon’s Anew Rejuvenate 24 Hour Eye Cream was specially designed to provide daily SPF 25 UVA/UVB protection that can even be applied to the delicate eyelid area.
  
Ole Henriksen, founder, Ole Henriksen products and the Ole Henriksen Face/Body Spa, West Hollywood, CA, said that there are two key factors that come into play for top-selling daily usage skin care products such as a day cream—the product must contain broad spectrum sun protection (protection against UVA and UVB rays) and hydrate adequately for proper moisturization.
  
“Day creams with an SPF are typically created for different skin types,” said Mr. Henriksen, citing both his brand’s Herbal Day Cream Antioxidant Formula SPF 15 for Normal/Combination Skin and Skin Insulator Comforting Cream SPF 15 for Dry/Sensitive Skin as examples. “The most popular day creams contain an SPF 15, which will provide enough sun shield for daily use in the city.”
    
Due to everyday usage, SPF-rich daily skin care products must also be suitable for finicky skin by way of texture and scent, added Mr. Henriksen. “Consumers also want to make sure that the SPF-infused cream they purchase is non-irritating, since skin irritation can be a complaint based on the screening agents used in some products. Aroma is less important, even though a pleasant smell is something that consumers ultimately respond favorably to in the market.”
  
Also, many consumers favor waterproof products to avoid the need for re-application throughout the day, according to Samantha Cutler, product development manager, Stila, Glendale, CA. The company recently rolled out its Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30—a sister product to its best-selling SPF 15 tinted moisturizer that is touted as a popular alternative to foundation. Both feature octinoxate, zinc oxide and oxybenzone.
   
Besides daily treatment lotions, face washes are making a foray into the world of UV protection. St. Ives recently introduced a daily cleanser that provides UVA/UVB protection. According to the company, the SPF 10 technology protects against 90% of UVB radiation, while the sunscreen and cleanser are balanced for optimum results. The sunscreen is encapsulated in a positively charged silica shell so it sticks to skin, which is negatively charged, without rinsing off. The oil-free, microencapsulated sunscreen cleanser eliminates the greasy feel of traditional sunscreens while still softening and protecting the skin.
   
Bells and whistles aside, sometimes it’s a basic, reliable formula that will make for a repeat customer on a skin care product.
   

Fade spots and fight UV rays with DDF's Protect and Correct.

“Consumers are interested in simplicity—products that are easy to use,” said Sherry Thompson, product director, Lubriderm, Skillman, NJ. “Lubriderm’s Daily Moisture with SPF 15 Lotion does just that. It goes beyond moisturizing skin to provide the daily sun protection consumers need from incidental sun exposure.” Ms. Thompson also noted that Daily Moisture with SPF 15 Lotion was the first daily moisturizer in the hand and body lotion category to offer sun protection benefits.

Targeting Needs

Besides daily usage and multi-faceted features, skin care products must reach niche markets such as anti-aging, allergies and acne.
    
“Combining anti-aging technologies (such as for wrinkles and skin tone) with sunscreen protection in a daily moisturizer is also very popular now, as consumers want convenience and the ability to apply fewer layers each day yet still get the same great skin care benefits,” said Laura J. Goodman, senior scientist, Procter & Gamble Beauty, Cincinnati, OH.
    
Two of P&G’s skin care lines—DDF and Olay—recently rolled out products with anti-aging benefits. DDF Protect and Correct UV Moisturizer SPF 15 is a moisturizer with broad spectrum UV protection that helps fade hyperpigmentation and even skin tone for immediately radiant skin. A “Micro-Radiance Complex” and light-diffusing particles are coupled with SPF 15 to help protect from UVA-UVB damage. Olay’s Total Effects Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 also targets aging with vitamins B3, B5 and C along with broad-spectrum SPF protection to deflect damaging UV rays.
   
Presently, there are more environmental aggressors than ever that can affect the skin—and not just from the outside, according to Dr. Tom Mammone, executive director of research and development at Clinique. For fall 2008, Clinique is rolling out Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer to target internal as well as external stress—including UV rays. The product includes ingredients such as red microalgae extract to help counteract the negative visible effects of stress; padina pavonica extract, which enhances skin’s natural ability to absorb calcium and build stronger to external stresses; micrococcus lysate, a repair enzyme derived from yeast said to help support skin’s natural defenses, and cat’s claw, a plant extract found in the Amazon Rainforest that has both antioxidant and anti-irritant attributes. The mix is topped off with a combination of octisalate and avobenzone with an SPF 25.
   
Another Estée Lauder brand, Darphin, just released Vital Protection Age-Defying Protective Lotion SPF 15, a skin care SKU targeted toward stressors such as UV rays.
   
The cream is made from 100% natural mineral filters and antioxidant active ingredients such as venuceane, a deep-sea microorganism which helps to detoxify, protect and moisturize the skin; and edelweiss and vitamin E.
    
For those with oily skin who prefer more traditional broad spectrum sunscreen, Proactiv Solution features two daily sunscreens (SPF 15 and 30) specially formulated for acne-prone skin, according to Kimber Maderazzo, senior vice president of global product development, Guthy Renker, Santa Monica, CA.
   
“Formulated to absorb quickly for a light finish and containing antioxidants to protect and renew skin, Proactiv Daily Protection Plus contains pore-renewing power,” she told Happi. Proactiv Solution Daily Protection Plus Sunscreen SPF 15 features a special silica blend that helps minimize excess oil, while Proactiv Solution Daily Protection Plus Sunscreen SPF 30 contains cleansing and soothing ingredients in addition to sun protection.
     
DDF targets those with sensitive/allergic skin with its new Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew SPF 15, a lightweight, non-irritating moisturizer that provides protection from UVA and UVB rays with quick-absorbing micronized powders. The oil-, dye- and fragrance-free formulation won’t clog pores, according to P&G.

What’s Next?

Improving the aesthetics of a SPF-infused skin care product so that it’s still as lightweight, non-comedogenic and functional as an everyday moisturizer is key for the formulations of the future, according to Ms. Lee at Kinerase. “This is meaningful, since consumers are educated to use these products every day, all year round.”
  
Mr. Henriksen predicted skin care shoppers would still be using their heads literally when considering SPF-fortified purchases in the next few years. “The majority of day creams in the future will contain an SPF and the same goes for lip products. The concern is, first and foremost, facial protection, because women and men alike don’t want to see their skin age prematurely and run the risk of getting skin cancer. The awareness of how important sun protection is has meant that sales of face creams with an SPF have escalated dramatically during the past five years alone.”
    

Personal Experience Leads to Product Creation After being diagnosed with skin cancer in 1999, celebrity makeup artist Susan Posnick started a quest for a product that would offer sun protection yet not “melt off” in the heat. Never a fan of foundation and powder, the Texas-based cosmetician found herself looking at an industry trade show for answers. There, Ms. Posnick encountered a chemist who was experimenting with a mineral foundation containing sun protection.  Upon receiving samples of the product, she knew she had found something unique and created Colorflo, a mineral foundation containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with SPF 26 that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.      Colorflo became a key SKU in the Susan Posnick Cosmetics collection launched in January 2002 in Dallas. This summer, the company participated in the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation’s Shade Across America program—dedicated to providing sun protection for children—through sales of Colorflo mineral foundation up to $10,000.      More info: www.susanposnick.com

Unique sun protection delivery systems, such as using positively charged and encapsulated sunscreen ingredients, are the wave of the future, according to Ms. Goodman at P&G. Sunscreens incorporated into face washes or light face-misting sprays are also burgeoning trends, she added.
    
Novel ingredients are also paramount in today’s SPF-infused skin care. Last October, after approval from the FDA, L’Oréal Paris introduced Revitalift UV Daily Moisturizing Cream with Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) with SPF 15 in the U.S., a daily moisturizer with advanced UV protection that protects against both “short and long” UVA rays used throughout the world for more than 13 years. Skinvisible also recently rolled out a version of its Invisicare patented polymer system with Parsol 1789, featuring the active ingredient avobenzone. 
    
Some marketers said that education and then incorporation into the a.m./p.m. regimen is the best innovation yet for the SPF in skin care segment.
 
“With greater sun care awareness comes an increasing desire for daily protection against incidental sun exposure,” said Ms. Thompson at Lubriderm. “Consumers are realizing that just a few minutes of daily sun exposure over time can cause noticeable changes in how skin looks and feels. The easiest way to protect the skin from incidental sun exposure and increase compliance is by incorporating SPF products into daily beauty routines.”

Sunscreen Symposium Set for Sept. 9-13, 2009 The Florida Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) will hold its semi-annual Sunscreen Symposium, Sept. 9-13, 2009 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL.     In recent years, the symposium has become a major event for the cosmetic industry, attracting nearly 400 attendees from around the world. At press time, no details were available.     More info: www.scconline.org