Development of a Sunscreen Stick Formulation which is Water Resistant but Easily Washable

The aim of this study is to develop a sunscreen stick formulation technology with excellent water resistance and washability. Consumers' needs for sunscreen products are diversifying. Water resistance and ease of washing are both important factors in sunscreen products. However, it is difficult to develop a sunscreen formulation that satisfies these two factors at the same time, because these two elements are in conflict. Fatty acid has a hydrophobic property against the water with low or neutral pH, but when it contacts with soapy water which has high pH, saponification occurs and the fatty acids become surfactants and can be dispersed in the water. Using the reaction characteristics of fatty acids, we can make sunscreen that is highly resistant to water or sweat, but is only selectively removed from soapy water. We found that the sunscreen stick containing fatty acids had better water resistance and washability than the sunscreen sticks without fatty acid. The sunscreen stick containing fatty acids showed a tendency to improve water resistance by scattering ultraviolet rays of long wavelength area by forming insoluble precipitation with divalent ions in tap water after immersion. In addition, an increase in the fatty acid content tended to also increase the ease of cleaning the sunscreen stick. Solid fatty acid was advantageous in improving water resistance than liquid fatty acid, but there was no difference between solid fatty acids and liquid fatty acid in washability. When it comes to stability, the sunscreen stick using liquid fatty acids maintained a high hardness and melting point, and showed no sweating. Based on this study, it is possible to develop an easy washable sunscreen stick formulation technology that has excellent water resistance but is selectively removed only in soapy water.