Developing a modern sunscreen formulation requires a good mix of science and art. Sunscreen products are now far more efficient, cost effective, water resistant, elegant and safe than the choices available a few short years ago. However, one must not overlook the input of our marketing friends. They are the ones who often identify or create the trends that send us back to our laboratory benches for a scientific hocus-pocus.
This article includes ingredient listings for several popular sunscrenn products recently sold by major manufacturers in the United States. I will analyze each of these products and attempt to uncover the rationale for the use of the major components.