Improving Water Resistance and Reducing Stickiness in O/W Tone-Up Sunscreen

Question

I am looking for advice on improving an O/W Tone-up Sunscreen formulation to enhance water resistance and reduce stickiness: I need a cosmetic-grade Film Former or water-resistant agent suitable for water-based formulas. Currently, I am using Comfort Film and another film-forming agent, but the water resistance is not yet satisfactory. I have found that Comfort Film makes the formulation feel sticky/tacky. Could you recommend alternative ingredients or formulation adjustments to reduce stickiness and improve Water Resistance?

MySkinRecipes Expert · Accepted Answer

To improve the water resistance of your O/W Tone-up sunscreen and reduce the stickiness caused by Comfort Film (Water Base), I recommend the following film formers and formulation adjustments:

1. Recommended Water-based Film Formers

For sunscreen applications, these options provide better water resistance with a better skin feel:

UV35 (Polyurethane-35) (Highly Recommended):
- Properties: Specifically designed for sunscreens. It is a polyurethane film former that boosts SPF by 50-100% and provides excellent water resistance.
- Benefits: It creates a flexible, non-tacky film that is much more comfortable than traditional acrylate-based films. It also helps reduce skin irritation from chemical UV filters.
- Usage: 1-10%, mix in the water phase.
Flex Film (Water Base):
- Properties: Provides a soft, flexible film with moderate to high water resistance.
- Benefits: It feels more natural on the skin than harder film formers and is suitable for facial products.
- Usage: 5-15%.
Gloss Film (Water/Alcohol Base):
- Properties: Offers the highest level of water resistance among water-based polymers.
- Caution: It leaves a glossy finish. If used in a tone-up cream, use it in small amounts (e.g., 2-5%) combined with other films to avoid excessive shine.

2. Tips to Reduce Stickiness and Improve Performance

Reduce Comfort Film: While it is designed for comfort, high concentrations in formulas with high powder content (like Tone-up creams) can become tacky. Try reducing its dosage and replacing it with UV35 (Polyurethane-35).
Add Light Esters: Incorporate a very light ester oil like LipidSoft Lite (0.5-2%) to help "break" the stickiness of the polymers and improve spreadability.
Powder Treatment: Ensure your Tone-up powders (like Titanium Dioxide) are surface-treated (e.g., silicone-coated) to help them adhere better to the skin when the film forms.
Emulsion System: Note that O/W (Oil-in-Water) systems are naturally less water-resistant than W/O (Water-in-Oil) systems. If you require "Very Water Resistant" performance, you might eventually need to consider a W/O or W/Si system.

Summary: I suggest trying a combination of UV35 (Polyurethane-35) at 3-5% and reducing the current film formers to achieve a better balance of water resistance and non-sticky feel.