Developing a Natural Sunscreen with Aloe Vera and Tomato

Hello! It's great that you're developing a natural sunscreen as part of your studies. Using natural ingredients like aloe vera and tomato is a wonderful approach.

Role of Aloe Vera and Tomato in Sunscreen

Aloe vera extract is known for its soothing, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial in a sunscreen to help calm the skin, especially after sun exposure. Products like Aloe Vera Extract (extraction ratio 10:1 FullAssay™), Aloe Vera Gel (Heavy), Aloe Vera Gel (Lite), or Aloe Vera Oil (Infused) could be incorporated for these benefits.

Tomato extract, while rich in antioxidants, typically does not provide significant UV protection. The Tomato Natural Water Soluble Color product found appears to be primarily a colorant, not a functional skin extract for sun protection or other major skin benefits in a sunscreen context.

Important Note: While aloe vera and tomato offer great skin benefits, they do not function as UV filters. A sunscreen formulation requires specific ingredients that can absorb, reflect, or scatter UV radiation.

Essential Sunscreen Components

To create an effective sunscreen, you must include UV filters. Based on the search, physical filters are available that could fit a natural concept:

• ZeoBlock™ (UV-Cutting Zeolite, Non-Nano): This is a non-nano zeolite that provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. It offers a smooth texture and doesn't cause significant whitening, making it a good option for boosting SPF and PA.
• Titanium Dioxide Transparent (15nm, Water-Dispersion): This is an ultra-small particle titanium dioxide dispersed in water, designed to provide UV protection with minimal whitening, suitable for water-based or O/W emulsions.

In addition to UV filters, a complete sunscreen formula requires:

• A base (emulsifiers, thickeners) to create the desired texture (lotion, cream, gel).
• Moisturizers and emollients.
• Preservatives to ensure product safety and shelf life.
• Other beneficial additives (like your aloe vera extract).

Formulation Complexity

Developing a stable and effective sunscreen is a complex process. It involves carefully selecting and balancing all ingredients, ensuring they are compatible, stable over time, and most importantly, that the final product provides the claimed SPF and PA protection. This requires laboratory testing.

Therefore, providing a single "formula" is not feasible without detailed development and testing. However, you can use ingredients like Aloe Vera Extract (extraction ratio 10:1 FullAssay™), Aloe Vera Gel (Heavy), Aloe Vera Gel (Lite), or Aloe Vera Oil (Infused) for their skin-conditioning benefits, and incorporate physical UV filters such as ZeoBlock™ (UV-Cutting Zeolite, Non-Nano) or Titanium Dioxide Transparent (15nm, Water-Dispersion) as the primary sun protection agents, along with other necessary base ingredients.

Good luck with your product development project!