Hawaiian Tropic Introduces New Approach to UVA Protection

Posted: June 7, 2006

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only three products to protect skin from UVA rays. Those ingredients are avobenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide. Tinosorb and Mexoryl SX have also been found to protect against UVA rays, however, they are only approved outside of the United States.

Avobenzone, more commonly known as Parsol 1789 is the ingredient used in most sunblocks to absorb damaging UVA rays. According to Hawaiian Tropic, Avobenzone can degrade over time but is the most successful UVA screen.

The company’s solution--to make the ingredient photostable using its SunSure proprietary combination of ingredients. This technology has been incorporated into each of its sun care products for this summer, and the company reports that extensive tests have revealed its products to be UVA/UVB photostable. According to the company, its products protect against a broad spectrum and have been shown to be shotostable through sun and solar simulator testing. The products also reportedly have less degradation to reduce free radicals.

Hawaiian Tropic claims that there are few other sun care products that have incorporated its SunSure technology into their lines.

Avobenzone and octinoxate, according to the company is an ingredient combination in sun care products that is particularly susceptible to photodegradation. The sun care company cautions against sun care products containing the two ingredients.