[video] Formulating Mineral Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin

'We have been hard at work to create an esthetically pleasing mineral sunscreen—which is important because consumers want it to be non-whitening ... but still protect their skin.'
"We have been hard at work to create an esthetically pleasing mineral sunscreen—which is important because consumers want it to be non-whitening ... but still protect their skin."

Mineral sunscreens are emerging as a consumer favorite as concerns over organic UV filters make headlines and are written into regulations. In relation, we offer the following insights into how Burt’s Bees went about formulating its latest mineral sunscreen. Hemali Gunt, Ph.D. (HG), head of clinical scientific affairs for Burt’s Bees, explains, to Rachel Grabenhofer, of Cosmetics & Toiletries (C&T).

C&T: Beyond SPF, what skin care needs does your sunscreen address?

HG: We have been hard at work to create an esthetically pleasing mineral sunscreen—which is important because consumers want it to be non-whitening and to rub in easily, but still protect their skin. That has been a big challenge. But our team successfully formulated a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen with ZnO that is esthetically pleasing, non-whitening, non-comedogenic and works for all skin tones.

The sunscreen was created to address two issues: sensitive and mature skin. We know some chemical sunscreens pose a problem to sensitive skin as they can be irritating and cause flushing due to their mechanism: they convert photons from UV radiation to heat energy. We also wanted to reduce signs of aging and we have a phenomenal ingredient in our pantry, bakuchiol, which is a natural retinol alternative, so we introduced that into the product.

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