"Newly published FDA rules pertaining to sunscreen testing and labeling will prompt sun care product manufacturers to shift their formulating strategies in favor of the most efficient sunscreen technologies," said Anna Gripp, senior director, Global Marketing Sun and Skin, Ashland Specialty Ingredients.
"Escalol S bemotrizinol is such a technology, offering effective protection in both the UVA and UVB ranges."
Broad-spectrum UV absorption
Bemotrizinol is a sunscreen molecule based on hydroxyphenyl triazine (HPT) chemistry that is capable of absorbing UVA and UVB light.
The molecule does this by absorbing UV energy, going in to an excited state and being able to dissipate the energy by intramolecular hydrogen transfer to go back to a ground state.
Hani Fares, senior director, skin care research Ashland Specialty Ingredients commented, “The performance characteristics of this technology [is] in the UV range of 290nm to 400nm, its effect on photo-stability of avobenzone in phenethyl benzoate, compatibility with many other commonly used sun care ingredients and additional benefits.”
Worldwide distribution
Gripp added that with so much market and regulatory attention focused on broad-spectrum protection, sunscreen manufacturers are expressing greater interest in ingredients like bemotrizinol.
The ingredient is already distributed in the European Union and other countries outside the US under the trade name Escalol S bemotrizinol.