Water resistance from Eastman's new AQ 385 polymer
Eastman Chemical Company now offers Eastman AQ 38S polymer to improve the water-resistance of sunscreen formulations. A water-dispersible polymer, Eastman AQ 38S is said to also have enhanced film-formation properties, which contribute to even skin coverage in lotion and pump-spray formulations.
Eastman recently compared the performance of prototype lotion and pump-spray sunscreens formulated with Eastman AQ 38S against leading commercial SPF 30 products. As measured by SPF retention, the prototypes outperformed the commercial formulations in in vitro and in vivo tests.
“These results lay a solid foundation for the development of extremely effective, next-generation sunscreens,” said Jim McCaulley, Ph.D., global market development manager, personal care ingredients at Eastman. “Formulating with Eastman AQ 38S contributes to uniform film coverage with increased water resistance for extended SPF protection.”
Because Eastman AQ 38S is added to the water phase, emulsifier usage can be reduced, leading to lower cost formulations. By reducing the total oil-phase content in the formulation one can achieve a less oily feel in sunscreens. “Both the prototype lotion and milk-lotion spray formulated with Eastman AQ38S have a noticeably non-greasy feel, an important product attribute for brand owners in this market,” added McCaulley.