UV Gel Sunscreen Formulation

Guidelines for Developing UV Gel Sunscreen Formulations

For developing a UV gel sunscreen formulation for your experiments, there are approaches and relevant ingredients you can consider. Creating a gel sunscreen focuses on a lightweight, non-greasy, and fast-absorbing texture, which differs from creams or lotions.

Generally, formulating a UV gel sunscreen involves combining sunscreen actives with gelling agents. This can be done in several ways, such as creating a water-based gel or using a lightweight base product and adjusting its viscosity.

Relevant Ingredients for Developing UV Gel Sunscreen Formulations

1. Gelling Agents:

   • AnyGel™: A Water Gelling Agent with excellent resistance to acid, alkali, and electrolytes. It provides a non-greasy gel texture that absorbs quickly, suitable for clear gels that don't leave an oily residue.
   • Sepimax Zen: A highly salt/pH tolerant thickener/emulsion stabilizer used to create a gel texture in the water phase.
   • Sponge Gel: A gel-building substance that absorbs a large amount of water and releases it upon application for a refreshing feel. It is a white opaque liquid, which might not be suitable for clear gels.

2. Light Sunscreen Bases:

   • Clear Sprayable Sunscreen (Super Light, SPF40): A clear, non-sticky liquid sunscreen base with SPF 40. It can be used as a base and thickened to a gel consistency.
   • Fluid Extreme Sunscreen (Ultra High/Broad Protection, Compare to La Roche UVMUNE400): A fluid (liquid) sunscreen base offering very high protection. It's lightweight and non-sticky and can be used as a base to adjust viscosity.
   • Light Invisible Sunscreen (SPF50+, PA++++, Compare to Loreal UV Defender Invisible Fluid): A very lightweight, residue-free serum sunscreen base with high protection. It can also be used as a base to adjust viscosity.

3. Sunscreen Actives:

   • Sunscreen actives are necessary for UV protection, such as Homosalate (UVB filter) or Polysilicone-15 (UVB filter), among others. The choice depends on the desired SPF/PA and the type of base (water-soluble or oil-soluble).

4. Texture Enhancers:

   • WaterSil™ 8/12 (Water Gel Detackifier): An ingredient specifically designed to reduce tackiness in water-based gels, making the texture smoother and more pleasant on the skin.

5. Ingredient UV Protector:

   • Protec™ UV: An ingredient that helps protect other components in the formulation, such as vitamins, from degradation by UV light, helping to extend the formula's shelf life.

Considerations for Your Experiments

• Developing a sunscreen formulation to achieve the desired SPF/PA and good stability requires careful balancing of various ingredients.
• If using a ready-made base like Clear Sprayable Sunscreen or Fluid Extreme Sunscreen, you can start by adding small amounts of a gelling agent to adjust the viscosity as needed.
• If you wish to develop a gel sunscreen formulation from scratch, you will need to select sunscreen actives compatible with your base (water or oil) and use a suitable gelling agent.

I hope this information is helpful for your UV gel sunscreen formulation experiments.