In this final step of our exploration of sun care products in preparation for the Rencontres by SFC in June, we take a close look at the efficacy tests accompanying these products. In addition to stability tests, which are standard for all cosmetic products, a wide range of additional tests, whether mandatory or optional, is available.
The development of sun care formulas is one of the most complex and stimulating fields of today’s cosmetic industry. With growing consumer demand for products combining performance, pleasant sensory feel, innovative textures, environmental respect, and health safety, formulators are constantly challenged to create the perfect sun care product. This mission is made even more difficult in a context where consumers are increasingly informed and demanding, while regulations evolve rapidly. In addition, these regulations differ significantly from one country to another, further complicating global product launches.
At the heart of numerous controversies throughout the summer, UV filters are cosmetic ingredients that are particularly challenged. So much so that the need to develop new molecules is on everyone’s mind. However, developing a new UV filter is already a complex process, to which must be added the regulatory steps required to authorise its future use in Europe. UV filters are not cosmetic ingredients like any others: their use in cosmetic formulations is governed by a very specific regulatory framework. Before protecting consumers from the sun, they must successfully pass all the steps required to demonstrate their safety of use, and also show a clean environmental profile from an ecotoxicological point of view.
