Sun care is undergoing a structural reset, moving from a category defined by clinical claims and isolated protection to one shaped by culture, convergence and continuous use. Across markets and segments, SPF is becoming a platform for hybrid skin care, sensorial innovation and lifestyle integration. At the same time, credibility pressures are intensifying, with growing scrutiny around SPF testing and regulatory consistency accelerating demand for transparency, reproducibility and real-world performance validation.
The concept is inspired by K-beauty’s lightweight sunscreen formats, featuring a smooth, fast-absorbing texture that layers easily with skin care and makeup. It also includes dsm-Firmenich's Pentavitin to deliver immediate and long-lasting hydration, helping maintain skin comfort during sun exposure.
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Sun care is undergoing a structural reset, moving from a category defined by clinical claims and isolated protection to one shaped by culture, convergence and continuous use. Across markets and segments, SPF is becoming a platform for hybrid skin care, sensorial innovation and lifestyle integration. At the same time, credibility pressures are intensifying, with growing scrutiny around SPF testing and regulatory consistency accelerating demand for transparency, reproducibility and real-world performance validation.
Within this shift, three forces are reshaping how sun care is developed, communicated and experienced:
- SPF is becoming culturally embedded through creator-led education and social-first storytelling, reframing sun safety as a daily habit formed early and reinforced through identity-driven content.
- Hybridization is dissolving traditional category boundaries, with sunscreen merging into serums, moisturizers, makeup and treatment-led formats that prioritize skin benefits alongside protection.
- Formulation science is rapidly advancing—through improved UV filter dispersions, multi-functional actives, and sustainability-driven systems—enabling higher performance with better sensoriality, inclusivity and environmental alignment.
Taken together, these developments signal a category that is increasingly defined by experience, trust and multifunctional performance.
Sun Safety Goes Creator-Led for Gen Alpha
ThinkSun is reframing SPF as a Gen Alpha lifestyle habit rather than a traditional skin care step with the appointment of 12-year-old influencer Taylen Biggs as its first-ever chief sunshine officer, a role designed specifically to translate sun safety into youth-driven, creator-led storytelling. With more than 3 million followers across platforms and a strong presence in fashion and entertainment media, Biggs is fronting a series of educational and entertainment-led campaigns focused on making mineral sunscreen use feel accessible, habitual, and socially relevant for younger audiences growing up in a highly visual, digital-first environment. The initiative positions sun care not as a corrective or medical message, but as an everyday “sunshine routine” embedded in lifestyle content.
ThinkSun is reframing SPF as a Gen Alpha lifestyle habit rather than a traditional skin care step with the appointment of 12-year-old influencer Taylen Biggs as its first-ever chief sunshine officer, a role designed specifically to translate sun safety into youth-driven, creator-led storytelling.
At the center of the strategy is ThinkSun’s positioning as a family-first, mineral-only SPF brand originally developed for babies and now extended across all ages, reinforcing trust and safety as core purchase drivers for parents of Gen Alpha consumers. The brand is using Biggs’ on-camera storytelling style to bridge education and engagement, highlighting dermatologist-backed mineral protection and demystifying SPF usage through short-form content, routines, and peer-style demonstrations. This reflects a broader shift in sun care communication, where credibility is increasingly built through relatable digital voices rather than traditional clinical messaging alone.
The collaboration also signals how SPF brands are evolving their go-to-market strategies to meet Gen Alpha where they are—on social platforms, in creator ecosystems, and within culture-led narratives. Campaign content will feature ThinkSun’s SVP of R&D alongside Biggs, combining technical expertise with accessible, youth-oriented explanation to reinforce product efficacy while maintaining entertainment value. By anchoring sun safety in personality-led education and Gen Alpha-native communication styles, ThinkSun is positioning mineral SPF not just as protection, but as an identity-shaping wellness behavior formed early and reinforced through daily routine.
The Hybrid Era of Beauty: When SPF, Serums and Moisturizers Become One System
Dot & Key’s Dragon Fruit Bounce Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ stands out in India’s rapidly evolving SPF landscape by pushing sunscreen from basic protection into clinically validated, hybrid skin care performance designed specifically for local climate and skin needs. Unlike conventional SPF products that rely on lab-based claims alone, this launch is the only sunscreen in its category to be in vivo tested for both UVA and UVB protection, signalling a stronger shift toward real-world efficacy validation at a time when Indian consumers are becoming more ingredient- and science-aware. It also integrates new-age photostable UV filters with antioxidant-rich dragon fruit extract, positioning sun protection as both a defensive and corrective skin care step against pollution, heat, and urban stressors.
Dot & Key’s Dragon Fruit Bounce Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ stands out in India’s rapidly evolving SPF landscape by pushing sunscreen from basic protection into clinically validated, hybrid skin care performance designed specifically for local climate and skin needs.Dot & Key
A key differentiator is its hybrid formulation approach, combining sun protection with active skin care benefits through Dot & Key’s proprietary Bounce–Lock™ Complex, powered by ectoin and niacinamide. This system is designed not only to shield skin from UV damage but also to maintain hydration, support barrier resilience, and improve tone uniformity under sun exposure—blurring the line between sunscreen and daily skin treatment. The inclusion of antioxidant actives further extends its role into preventative skin care, addressing oxidative stress alongside UV exposure, which is particularly relevant in high-pollution, high-UV environments common across Indian cities.
From a sensorial and usability perspective, the product is engineered for mainstream adoption in India through a lightweight cushion-gel texture that absorbs quickly, leaves no white cast, and avoids greasiness—key barriers to SPF compliance in oily and combination skin types. This positions it as a true hybrid format: high-performance dermatological protection combined with everyday cosmetic wearability. By uniting clinical testing, climate-specific formulation, and consumer-friendly texture innovation, Dot & Key is effectively reframing sunscreen in India as a daily skin care essential rather than a seasonal or purely functional product.
Pixi Beauty’s Vitamin-C CremeSerum further highlights a clear acceleration of the hybrid skin care format trend, where traditional category boundaries between serums and moisturizers are being intentionally dissolved in favor of single-step, multifunctional solutions. Rather than layering multiple products, consumers are increasingly prioritizing efficiency and performance, with Mintel data showing nearly a third of women actively shifting toward multifunctional skin care as part of a broader “less is more” routine philosophy. This launch responds directly to that behavioral change by merging brightening treatment and daily hydration into one unified formula, reflecting how skin care is being redesigned around speed, simplicity, and efficacy.
Pixi Beauty’s Vitamin-C CremeSerum further highlights a clear acceleration of the hybrid skin care format trend, where traditional category boundaries between serums and moisturizers are being intentionally dissolved in favor of single-step, multifunctional solutions.Pixi
What makes this product distinct is its engineered “dual-phase” design approach, using 3D encapsulated vitamin C moisture pearls suspended within a hydrating serum base. This format is not just a formulation innovation but a delivery strategy, protecting ingredient stability while enabling consistent release of actives during application. By combining vitamin C, niacinamide and ferulic acid in a single system, the CremeSerum effectively compresses a multi-step routine—typically involving serum, antioxidant treatment, and moisturizer—into one application, signaling a broader industry move toward consolidation without compromising on functional performance.
The launch also reinforces how hybrid formats are reshaping both product development and consumer expectations around skin care texture and usability. Lightweight, fast-absorbing sensorial profiles are now essential to ensure that multifunctional products remain appealing in real-world routines, particularly for morning use where layering fatigue is highest. In positioning a serum-moisturizer hybrid as a daily essential rather than an innovation niche, Pixi underscores how hybridization is no longer a trend at the edges of skin care, but a structural shift in how brands define product architecture, routine design, and consumer value.
Finally, Ilia Beauty’s Sun Serum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 further underscores how sunscreen is being redefined through the rise of hybrid formats that merge protection, skin care treatment and sensorial experience into a single step. Rather than functioning as a standalone protective layer, SPF is increasingly positioned as an active skin care product, and this launch builds directly on that shift by extending Ilia’s skin-first philosophy beyond its cult Super Serum Skin Tint into a dedicated sunscreen category. The result is a product designed not only to shield against UVA/UVB, visible, and infrared light, but also to actively improve skin function throughout the day, reflecting how SPF is evolving into a daily-use skin care hybrid rather than a seasonal or purely defensive product.
Ilia’s Sun Serum is emblematic of a new generation of SPF hybrids—products that blur the line between skin care and protection, and redefine sunscreen as a daily performance skin care essential rather than a standalone functional category.Ilia
At the formulation level, the hybrid positioning is reinforced through a multi-functional active system that combines seven molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, Seppic's Aquaxyl, and botanical oil-control extracts like Echinacea purpurea and Rhodiola rosea. This allows the formula to simultaneously hydrate, strengthen the skin barrier, regulate sebum, and deliver broad-spectrum protection, effectively compressing multiple skin care steps—hydration, barrier care, oil control and sun protection—into one. The gel-cream-to-water-burst texture further supports this hybrid identity, prioritizing both skin care performance and cosmetic elegance, ensuring SPF feels as desirable and wearable as a daily moisturizer or serum.
This convergence of functions reflects a broader industry acceleration toward skin-enhancing SPF, where sunscreen is no longer a separate or final step but an integrated part of the skin care routine that actively improves skin condition. Clinical validation around hydration, shine control, and barrier strengthening reinforces this positioning, while consumer demand for lightweight, invisible, and non-cosmetic-feeling SPF highlights the importance of sensorial design in hybrid success. In this context, Ilia’s Sun Serum is emblematic of a new generation of SPF hybrids—products that blur the line between skin care and protection, and redefine sunscreen as a daily performance skin care essential rather than a standalone functional category.
Acne-Prone SPF Gap with Clinically Proven Oil-Balancing Sunscreen
EltaMD is expanding its flagship UV Clear franchise with the launch of UV Clear Blemish-Prone & Oil Balancing SPF 50, a mineral sunscreen designed specifically for oily, acne-prone skin. The launch coincides with the third annual National Dermatologist Day, underscoring the brand’s longstanding positioning within the medical aesthetics and dermatology community.
EltaMD is expanding its flagship UV Clear franchise with the launch of UV Clear Blemish-Prone & Oil Balancing SPF 50, a mineral sunscreen designed specifically for oily, acne-prone skin. EltaMD
What makes the product notable in the SPF category is its explicit dual-function design: high-performance sun protection combined with clinically measured blemish and oil reduction benefits. Built on the brand’s established UV Clear platform, the new formula is non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic, but pushes further into treatment territory with claims of a 65% reduction in visible blemishes and 61% reduction in excess oil and shine after 12 weeks of use.
At the center of the formula is EltaMD’s Zinc-AOX Pro Technology, a blend of 11% high-purity zinc oxide paired with four antioxidants, combined with 5% niacinamide. The system is designed to address multiple acne-related triggers simultaneously—UV exposure, environmental stressors such as blue light and pollution, excess sebum, and visible inflammation—positioning the sunscreen as both a protective and corrective daily step.
Clinical testing on acne-prone and oily skin (43 subjects, Fitzpatrick I–VI) showed early improvements as soon as week four, with continued gains through week 12. In addition to reductions in blemishes and oil, the study reported a 25% improvement in the appearance of pore size, reinforcing the product’s skin-refining claims beyond traditional SPF performance metrics.
The launch also reinforces EltaMD’s deep ties to dermatology, arriving on a date the brand itself established to recognize the profession. This year’s observance is further marked by parent company Colgate-Palmolive’s 220th anniversary, with EltaMD set to ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange as part of the celebration.
Together, the launch highlights a broader shift in sunscreen innovation: from passive UV protection to multifunctional, dermatology-aligned skin care that actively treats persistent skin concerns like acne while protecting against environmental damage.
SPF Meets Skin Recovery: Mineral Sunscreen as a Post-Procedure Treatment
SkinCeuticals is pushing mineral sunscreen beyond traditional UV protection with the launch of Future Mineral UV Defense SPF 50, a formula designed to function as both a daily SPF and a clinically backed anti-aging treatment.
What sets the launch apart in the increasingly crowded SPF category is its explicit positioning at the intersection of dermatological recovery and long-term skin performance. Built on a dual mineral filter system—3% titanium dioxide and 15% new-grade zinc oxide with compact particle technology—the formula is engineered to solve one of mineral SPF’s most persistent consumer barriers: heavy texture and visible white cast.
Instead, the brand is emphasizing cosmetically elegant mineral protection that is wearable across all skin tones, with physician testing showing 95% of users agreed the formula suited their complexion. That focus on inclusivity and sensorial refinement places the product firmly in the daily wear first mineral SPF evolution currently reshaping the category.
SkinCeuticals is positioning the sunscreen as a post-procedure support system, not just a preventative shield. The formula incorporates barrier-supporting and film-forming actives—including niacinamide, panthenol, beta glucan and cellulose—designed to create a second skin effect that helps lock in hydration and support recovery after aesthetic treatments.
That medical-aesthetic alignment is reinforced by physician testing, which found the formula well-tolerated just five minutes after non-ablative laser procedures—an uncommon claim in consumer SPF positioning and one that underscores its clinic-to-home bridge strategy.
Clinically, the brand reports visible improvements after 12 weeks of use, including:
- 27% reduction in wrinkles
- 32% reduction in fine lines
- 27% reduction in dark spots
In a category often defined by UV claims alone, SkinCeuticals is reframing mineral SPF as a treatment-adjacent, skin-repairing daily essential—one that protects in the moment while actively improving visible signs of aging over time.
SPF Moves Into the Glow Economy
Coco & Eve, long established in the self-tan and bronzing category, is entering the sun protection market with the launch of Sunny Honey Protect, a new SPF collection designed to bridge the gap between skin care-level sun protection and the aesthetic expectations of glow-focused consumers. The move positions SPF not as a corrective or purely functional step, but as an extension of the brand’s core tanning philosophy: skin that looks radiant, hydrated, and visibly enhanced in the sun.
Coco & Eve, long established in the self-tan and bronzing category, is entering the sun protection market with the launch of Sunny Honey Protect, a new SPF collection designed to bridge the gap between skin care-level sun protection and the aesthetic expectations of glow-focused consumers.Coco & Eve
What makes the launch distinctive in the SPF space is its explicit reframing of sunscreen as a glow-enhancing beauty product rather than a standalone protective layer. Developed by a brand deeply rooted in tanning behavior and bronzed-skin aesthetics, Sunny Honey Protect was created in response to a consumer tension the company identified—while SPF awareness is high, many users still avoid or underuse sunscreen due to concerns about heavy textures, white cast, or dulling effects on skin appearance, particularly on the body.
Instead of positioning SPF as a compromise, Coco & Eve has built a three-product “SPF wardrobe” designed to integrate into beauty routines with different sensorial and aesthetic outcomes. The range includes a lightweight Coconut Milk Body SPF 50 with a dewy finish for daily hydration, a Highlighter Body SPF 50 formulated with pearlescent minerals for visible radiance, and a Tan Boosting Anti-Aging Body Oil SPF available in multiple SPF levels to protect while enhancing the appearance of natural or self-applied tans.
Across the collection, the brand emphasizes sensorial experience as a core functional benefit, incorporating tropical botanical extracts and a signature mango fragrance to reinforce its existing identity in the body care and tanning space. The formulation strategy reflects a broader category shift toward multi-functional SPF that blends protection, cosmetic finish, and skin enhancement in a single step, particularly in body care where adoption has historically lagged facial sunscreen use.
According to the brand, the launch is rooted in direct consumer feedback from its global tanning community, with the goal of creating SPF that “works with glow, not against it.” That positioning underscores its key differentiation: rather than adapting traditional sunscreen formats, Coco & Eve is translating tanning category thinking into sun protection—treating SPF as part of the aesthetic outcome, not just the protective one.
SPF is becoming the foundation of modern skin care, makeup and hybrid complexion performance. This new wave of formulas blends mineral sun protection with treatment-level actives and sensorial innovation to deliver blur, glow, and care in a single application. From weightless skin prep to tinted coverage and radiance-boosting textures, this roundup of concept products shows how the industry is redefining how protection and beauty can seamlessly coexist.
Hybrid Beauty Breakthroughs: Skin Care, SPF and Color in One Seamless Swipe
SPF is becoming the foundation of modern skin care, makeup and hybrid complexion performance. This new wave of formulas blends mineral sun protection with treatment-level actives and sensorial innovation to deliver blur, glow, and care in a single application. From weightless skin prep to tinted coverage and radiance-boosting textures, this roundup of concept products shows how the industry is redefining how protection and beauty can seamlessly coexist.
Recent concept products show more innovation is possible.
A K-Beauty-Inspired Hybrid Sunscreen
Univar Solutions' CloudComfort SPF 50 is "a hybrid sunscreen designed to provide reliable broad‑spectrum protection while keeping skin comfortable, hydrated, and easy to wear," according to the company's innovation team, which includes Claudia Barba, technical services manager, beauty and personal care, ingredients and specialties, and Irena James, senior business development manager, beauty and personal care, ingredients and specialties.
Univar Solutions' CloudComfort SPF 50 is "a hybrid sunscreen designed to provide reliable broad‑spectrum protection while keeping skin comfortable, hydrated, and easy to wear," according to the company's innovation team, which includes Claudia Barba, technical services manager, beauty and personal care, ingredients and specialties, and Irena James, senior business development manager, beauty and personal care, ingredients and specialties.Univar
They note, "The formula combines a modern mineral filter with a complementary organic UV filter to deliver strong UVA, UVB and blue light protection without the heavy feel or white cast often associated with mineral sunscreens. By pairing surface‑treated zinc oxide with [dsm-Firmenich's soon to be approved] Parsol Shield, the formulation uses less total zinc oxide, which helps create a more fluid, elegant texture that blends easily on all skin tones."
The concept is inspired by K-beauty’s lightweight sunscreen formats, featuring a smooth, fast-absorbing texture that layers easily with skin care and makeup. It also includes dsm-Firmenich's Pentavitin to deliver immediate and long-lasting hydration, helping maintain skin comfort during sun exposure.
Univar Solutions' CloudComfort SPF 50 pairs surface‑treated zinc oxide with dsm-Firmenich's soon to be approved Parsol Shield (pictured).Univar
"The result is a breathable, daily‑wear sunscreen with a non‑tacky finish, designed to help meet both performance expectations and consumer demand for elegant, comfortable textures," say Barba and James.
The inclusion of Parsol Shield signals the industry's excitement around the ingredient's imminent addition to the U.S. beauty palette.
"The anticipated 2026 introduction of Parsol Shield represents a structural shift for U.S. sunscreen innovation, marking the first new FDA‑proposed UV filter in more than 25 years," say Barba and James. "This milestone demonstrates that modern regulatory pathways can support scientifically advanced photoprotection. Its proven broad‑spectrum UVA/UVB performance and formulation efficiency, already validated through long‑standing global use, give U.S. brands access to higher performance with improved aesthetics and inclusivity."
They add, "Just as importantly, Parsol Shield establishes a workable precedent for introducing additional globally recognized UV filters through a science‑driven FDA process. From an industry standpoint, this milestone reopens investment, innovation, and long‑term formulation planning."
Finally, say Barba and James, "Moving forward, leadership will depend on continued regulatory modernization that recognizes well‑established global safety and performance data and helps provide a more predictable, science‑based pathway for new UV filters. Parsol Shield also represents an important early milestone in this evolution, demonstrating how progress can unlock innovation and strengthen public health outcomes."
Blur, Protect, Perfect: A Weightless Mineral SPF That Does It All
Cosmetic Group USA's Pure Blur Skin Prep | Mineral Shield SPF 30 is a multifunctional, silky skin-prep formula that smooths, blurs, hydrates and protects in a single step. Featuring a sheer, no–white cast mineral SPF 30 based on zinc oxide, it combines peptides, squalane, and hyaluronic filling spheres to boost hydration, support collagen production, and visibly improve firmness, elasticity and fine lines, delivering both instant soft-focus effects and longer-term skin benefits. A plant-based silicone alternative provides a lightweight, breathable finish that enhances spreadability and creates a perfected, pore-diffusing look, whether worn alone or under foundation. Dermatology tested and aligned with green chemistry principles, the anhydrous, customizable formula can be adapted with pigments or actives and packaged in multiple formats, offering a flexible, low-carbon solution for modern hybrid skin care-makeup applications.
Pure Blur Skin Prep | Mineral Shield SPF 30 is a multifunctional, silky skin-prep formula that smooths, blurs, hydrates and protects in a single step. Non-SPF variant pictured.Cosmetic Group USA
The formulation’s invisible, weightless blurring and non-greasy, bare-skin feel were achieved with “next-generation zinc oxides with advanced particle technology and surface treatments,” says Karen Quimby, creative director at Cosmetic Group USA.
She adds, “These newer versions deliver transparency and smoother film formation, helping eliminate the heavy, chalky look traditionally associated with mineral SPF. Using my favorite new plant-derived silicone alternative, my chemists were able to achieve a silky glide and improved dispersion, for a soft-focus and cloud-like effect that feels weightless on the skin.”
As for the consumer benefits of a hybrid formulation, Quimby explains, “Our approach allows consumers to simplify their routine without compromising protection. By delivering a lightweight, velvety finish that feels like skin prep yet functions as daily sun protection, we help shift the perception of SPF as a separate, often heavy step to a seamless part of the everyday complexion routine. Protection has never felt this good!”
SPF Meets Plumping
Cosmetic Group USA's Pure Pout Plumping Lip Butter Plus is a multifunctional lip care concept that combines visible plumping, deep hydration and sun protection within a clean, customizable formulation base. Powered by a biomimetic pomegranate flower extract (CG PomPlump), the formula is clinically positioned to enhance lip fullness, smooth fine lines and support barrier function, while a blend of jojoba oil, kahai oil, squalane, shea butter and murumuru butter delivers long-lasting moisture and conditioning without greasiness. Antioxidant support from vitamin E and botanical oils helps protect against oxidative stress, while added UV protection—via mineral zinc oxide (in SPF 30 versions) and Parsol Shield SPF 50 (in select variants, pending U.S. approval)—extends the product into treatment-plus-protection territory. Designed for flexibility, the formula can be adapted across shades, formats, and marketing positions, with early clinical data indicating measurable plumping effects within hours and over extended use, positioning it as a hybrid lip care solution that merges skincare benefits, cosmetic enhancement and SPF defense.
Cosmetic Group USA's Pure Pout Plumping Lip Butter Plus is a multifunctional lip care concept that combines visible plumping, deep hydration and sun protection within a clean, customizable formulation base.Cosmetic Group USA
“It comes down to building the UV protection into a very elegant anhydrous base, rather than letting it sit on top of the sensorial story," says Mat Rashidi, executive director of R&D operations, Cosmetic Group USA. "By combining zinc oxide with a modern organic UV filter and supporting that system with strong dispersing and surface-wetting technology, we were able to create much better transparency and a more uniform film on the lips. That is what helps deliver high protection without the heavy, whitening effect people often expect from high-SPF lip products. From there, rich emollients and plush structuring agents bring back the buttery glide, cushion, and glossy finish, so the formula feels indulgent and polished rather than technical.”
Rashidi adds, “The balance [of performance among the ingredients] really comes from the architecture of the oil phase. We used a combination of elegant esters, rich emollients, butters and carefully chosen waxes to create a cushiony melt that feels smooth and substantial, but never sticky or pasty. The color portion is also milled for a finer, more uniform laydown, which helps preserve that silky payoff. The result is a lip balm that delivers serious daily protection, but still feels like a prestige lip treatment in the way it melts, shines and wears on the lips.”
The Seamless Veil: A Next-Gen Tinted Serum with Built-In SPF Protection
Cosmetic Group USA’s Tinted Serum Foundation with SPF 30 is a skin care-first complexion product that combines lightweight coverage with treatment-level benefits and mineral sun protection. Built around a biomimetic, plant-based collagen designed to mimic the skin’s natural triple-helix structure, the formula supports barrier function, hydration and plumpness, while an AI-designed peptide complex targets firmness and radiance. The emulsion also incorporates a blend of actives—including hyaluronic acid, glycerin, allantoin, aloe vera, vitamin C and niacinamide—alongside marula and kahai oils for deep hydration and skin conditioning. A natural silicone alternative enhances spreadability and delivers a smooth, breathable, second-skin finish, while avocado oil-coated pigments improve blendability and create a more even, luminous complexion. Broad-spectrum UV protection is provided via zinc oxide, positioning the product as a hybrid between foundation, serum, and sunscreen, with additional antioxidant support from a plant-based blend to protect against environmental stress.
Cosmetic Group USA’s Tinted Serum Foundation with SPF 30 is a skin care-first complexion product that combines lightweight coverage with treatment-level benefits and mineral sun protection. Cosmetic Group USA
“The key [to creating a cast-free effect] is creating one seamless film between the mineral UV filter and the pigment system,” says Rashidi. “We used a pre-dispersed zinc oxide with advanced wetting and coating support, then built the shade system with treated color dispersions that can be homogenized very finely into the base. That level of dispersion is critical, because it keeps the SPF and the color from reading as two separate layers on the skin. Instead, they move together as one flexible, fluid veil. That is what allows the formula to feel light and serum-like while delivering a far more cast-free result across a broad global shade range, including deeper tones.”
Sun-Kissed Skin, Swipe On: Glow-Boosting Jelly Oil Stick Delivers Instant Vacation Radiance
The company’s Bronzing Ceramide Jelly Oil Stick is a multifunctional glow product that combines a novel jelly-to-oil texture with skin-care-driven benefits to deliver instant warmth and long-term skin support. Though it doesn’t feature SPF claims, the concept still points to sun-powered trends in the market.
Formulated with cannabis sativa seed oil and a nature-identical ceramide complex (CG CeraBarrier), it is designed to strengthen the skin barrier and reduce transepidermal water loss, while a blend of marula, kahai, ginger, and turmeric oils provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating benefits for a radiant finish. Avocado oil-coated pigments enhance color payoff and blendability, while vitamin C helps brighten and even skin tone. The portable stick format allows for easy, buildable application across the face, positioning the product as a hybrid between makeup and treatment, with customizable potential for added actives, SPF, or sensory enhancements.
Achieving a glowing, sun-kissed look in a solid stick format, without feeling greasy or heavy on the skin, is a significant sensorial challenge.
Rashidi explains how the format was achieved: “It comes down to building a structured oil network that feels juicy on application, but still has enough internal structure to stay elegant on skin. We used lightweight emollients for glide and spreadability, richer skin-conditioning lipids for comfort, and a silica-based jelly builder to create that cushiony, balm-to-skin payoff. Supporting oils like marula and kahai help reinforce the nourished feel, while ceramide adds to the perception of care and conditioning. The result is a luminous bronze finish that feels smooth, hydrated, and beautifully skin-like rather than greasy.”
Sun Care Reset: Low-Carbon UV Filters, 4-in-1 Blends & Next-Gen Mineral Dispersions Redefine SPF Formulation
Simplifying Sun Care with Tailored, Broad-Spectrum Protection
Symrise’s Neo Heliopan Fusion is a 4-in-1 UV filter blend that streamlines sun care formulation while delivering high-performance, broad-spectrum protection. By combining three crystalline UV filters solubilized in a single liquid UV filter, it enables easy customization of SPF levels up to 50+ with balanced UVA coverage and a light, pleasant skin feel. This viscous, oil-soluble, water-free format simplifies processing, reduces the need for auxiliary ingredients, and supports a wide range of applications—from creams, lotions, and sprays to BB/CC creams, foundations, lipsticks, and daily skin care with SPF—making it a versatile solution for modern, differentiated sun care products.
Designed for efficiency and sustainability, Neo Heliopan Fusion supports cold, hot, or hybrid manufacturing processes, accelerating development cycles while reducing inventory complexity and energy use. Its unique composition allows formulators to create tailored sunscreen solutions with precision, all while maintaining stability, reliability, and regulatory compliance. By consolidating multiple filters into a single, easy-to-use ingredient, Neo Heliopan Fusion empowers brands to deliver effective, consumer-trusted sun protection, helping them meet evolving market demands for safe, high-performing, and transparent sun care formulations.
Mineral Sunscreen Rebuilt: How Dispersions Solve SPF’s Biggest Pain Points in Clean Beauty Formulations
G-Block UV-Grade dispersions from Applechem, part of Solabia Group, are a line of natural sunscreen ingredient systems designed to address one of the core formulation challenges in mineral SPF: achieving high transparency while maintaining broad-spectrum protection and strong SPF performance. Engineered as stable dispersions of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the G-Block range enables high active loading while preserving easy-to-process viscosity, helping formulators move efficiently from lab development to scale-up without compromising consistency.
G-Block UV-Grade dispersions from Applechem, part of Solabia Group, are a line of natural sunscreen ingredient systems designed to address one of the core formulation challenges in mineral SPF: achieving high transparency while maintaining broad-spectrum protection and strong SPF performance. Lea at Adobe Stock
The systems are COSMOS, Ecocert, and Natural Product Association approved, globally compliant with FDA broad spectrum, EU COLIPA, and Japanese standards and designed to remain physically stable without separation or settling, ensuring consistent SPF and critical wavelength performance across batches. The portfolio includes multiple zinc oxide and titanium dioxide-based dispersions in caprylic/capric triglyceride systems, combining clean-label positioning with manufacturing robustness for modern natural sunscreen development.
“With our unique combination of dispersant technology, specialized processing and optimized ZnO selection, G-Block, particularly our latest launch, DZ 72CCC, delivers the most transparent zinc oxide on the market with excellent spreadability on the skin,” says Yung Chan, head of formulation and application, North America.
That spreadability has multiple benefits, per Chan: “Improved spreadability of UV filter dispersions enables the final sunscreen formulas to glide smoothly and form a more even, continuous film on the skin, one of the most critical factors in achieving real, reliable UV protection. This is especially important for mineral sunscreens, where mineral particles can naturally agglomerate, leading to patchy coverage and reduced UVA/UVB performance. When a sunscreen feels patchy or difficult to apply, consumers tend to use less of it or avoid reapplication altogether.”
She adds, “By minimizing agglomeration and enhancing uniformity, better‑spreading dispersions help deliver higher, more consistent SPF and UVA protection while creating a smoother, more pleasant experience for the consumer.”
In addition, says Chan, “Our G-Block dispersions are 100% natural and all ZnO dispersions within the G-Block series are COSMOS‑approved.”
The company’s S-Block DZ 100 PDCC, meanwhile, is a zinc oxide dispersion designed to bridge clean beauty and clinically validated sun protection by enabling formulators to deliver broad-spectrum mineral SPF within both silicone-free and traditional systems. Positioned for next-generation sun care, it allows compatibility across emulsion and anhydrous formats while reducing reliance on silicone or siloxane dispersions, making it suitable for clean, clinical and high-performance formulations.
“Our S-Block dispersions contain 98.4% natural content,” says Chan. “Even when formulating with the maximum allowable zinc oxide level permitted by regulation, only about 0.5% non‑natural ingredient is introduced into the formula, enabling brands to maintain strong naturality claims while still delivering high‑performance sunscreen protection.”
The system combines 78% zinc oxide active loading with stable, easy-to-process viscosity and stress-free formulation behavior that prevents separation or settling, supporting consistent SPF performance and faster scale-up from lab to production.
Chan notes, “At the same ZnO content, S‑Block delivers a remarkably serum‑like low viscosity while maintaining long‑term stability. This performance has been demonstrated across multiple formulation types, including both O/W and W/Si systems.”
In addition to its regulatory compliance with FDA broad spectrum, EU COLIPA, and Japanese PA standards, S-Block is engineered for improved sensorial aesthetics, delivering a smooth, powdery skin feel and detackified finish that enhances user experience without added powders or silicones.
Technologies such as these could potentially support reef-safe claims.
Chan explains, “There is currently no universal or legally defined standard for making “reef‑safe” claims. From a regulatory standpoint, many popular reef-rich regions, including Florida, Hawaii, Aruba, Palau, Mexico, Thailand and several Caribbean islands, have banned certain organic UV filters, while encouraging the use of mineral UV filters as safer, lower‑risk options. From a technical perspective, although research on environmental impact continues to evolve, non‑nano mineral UV filters remain less debated and are generally perceived as more compatible with vulnerable coral reef systems.”
The technologies also offer biocompatibility, which can benefit consumers with acne-prone skin.
“Mineral UV filters provide gentle, non‑irritating photoprotection while supporting overall skin health,” says Chan. “Because they remain on the skin surface rather than being absorbed, they do not interact or penetrate with living skin layers, the bloodstream or barrier lipids, making them inherently biocompatible. Their inorganic, chemically inert and highly stable nature further minimizes the risk of irritation or inflammation, which is why they are widely regarded as gentle and mild for sensitive skin.”
She adds, “They also avoid the pore‑clogging tendencies often seen with certain occlusive organic UV filters. In addition, ZnO offers anti‑inflammatory and antibacterial benefits that help reduce acne‑related redness and inflammatory lesions, with many clinical studies demonstrating improvements in Cutibacterium acnes activity, reduced lesion counts, and soothing of irritated skin.”
From an operational perspective, pre-dispersed mineral filters offer efficiencies that differ from traditional powder-form UV filters.
“Pre‑dispersed mineral UV filters streamline production by eliminating the high‑shear mixing, long dispersion times, and dusting issues associated with powder‑form ZnO or TiO₂, says Chan. “The pre‑dispersed, stable clean‑paste format reduces inhalation concerns, minimizes the need for special processing equipment, and significantly cuts cleaning time and requirements. With a proven three‑year shelf life and no separation of our G-Block and S-Block dispersions, these ready‑to‑use dispersions offer reliable, consistent quality batch after batch, making formulation easier, faster, and worry‑free, without the risk of quality variation.”
5 Innovation Strategies Shaping the Next Era of Sun Care
- Build SPF credibility through next-generation validation systems
Move beyond single-lab SPF claims by investing in multi-site testing, in-vitro methods, and real-world wear studies to strengthen reproducibility, reduce regulatory risk and reinforce consumer trust. - Design SPF as a hybrid skin care platform, not a standalone category
Develop formulations that integrate UV protection with actives for hydration, barrier support, tone correction and anti-aging, positioning SPF as a core daily skin care system across facial, lip, and body formats. - Prioritize sensorial engineering as a core performance driver
Treat texture, finish and wearability as equal to UV efficacy, focusing on invisible mineral systems, no-white-cast solutions, lightweight emulsions and makeup-compatible formats that improve compliance and daily use. - Leverage advanced dispersion and delivery technologies to unlock performance
Invest in pigment and UV filter dispersion systems, encapsulation (e.g., multi-weight actives, controlled release pearls), and structured oil/emulsion architectures to improve stability, efficacy and aesthetic elegance. - Integrate sustainability and inclusivity into formulation architecture from the start
Embed low-carbon UV filters, clean-label mineral systems, and broad-spectrum skin tone compatibility into early R&D decisions, aligning innovation with regulatory evolution, environmental expectations and global market diversity.
FOOTNOTE
