Sunscreen Ingredient Availability and Patent Status

Thank you for your question and to all participants for the valuable discussion.

Regarding the potential import of the specific sunscreens you mentioned:

• Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid (Mexoryl SX or Ecamsule): The staff has indicated that this ingredient cannot be sold due to patent restrictions from the owner. As an alternative water-soluble sunscreen, the company plans to offer Ensulizole (Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid), which is currently awaiting stock.
• Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Tinosorb M): The company currently has no plans to import Tinosorb M. They have chosen to offer Tris-Biphenyl Triazine (Nano) instead, which they believe provides high effectiveness, especially when combined with other sunscreens they sell, such as DHHB (Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate) or BEMT (Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine), to achieve broad-spectrum protection.
• Drometrizole TriSiloxane (Mexoryl XL), Disodium Phenyl Dibenzimidazole Tetrasulfonate, and Polysilicone-15: The staff's replies did not specifically mention plans for importing these ingredients.

Regarding the patent question:

• As mentioned, Mexoryl SX (Ecamsule) is confirmed by staff to have patent restrictions preventing its sale to external parties.
• Mexoryl XL is also a L'Oréal patented ingredient, and it is highly likely to be under similar restrictions, although this was not explicitly stated by the staff in this discussion.

The company focuses on providing high-performance sunscreen ingredients that are available to external formulators, such as Tris-Biphenyl Triazine (Nano), DHHB, BEMT, and others.