Wondering how SPF is made? Well you’re in luck, because that’s exactly what today’s Chemistry Lesson will be covering.
By now you hopefully understand how SPF is made, but with the launch of Bright-Eyed, we want to go into a few of the nuances that distinguish an eye cream with SPF from a body lotion with SPF from a face lotion with SPF. So, let’s get started…!
A Quick “Anatomy of SPF” Refresher Course
Generally speaking, SPF is comprised of sunscreen actives, liquids, functional ingredients and skin-protecting ingredients and skin-nourishing ingredients. Here at Supergoop!, we also go the extra mile to consider things like a person’s lifestyle, skin tone, type and concerns, as well as different use case scenarios. (You can read more about all of these things here.)
SPF & Different Use Cases
When it comes to use cases, we always ask ourselves whether or not this is going to be the primary way a person applies SPF onto their skin or the secondary way. We also take into consideration where this SPF is intended to be used, which brings us to today’s chemistry lesson.
SPF for Your Eyes
First and foremost…the eyes! This very important, very specific area deserves its own unique set of considerations…
- Can we make SPF that won’t irritate (i.e. itch, burn, redden) this very sensitive area?
- Similar to SPF for your face, can we make something that can play well with your eye makeup in particular?
- Can we make something that will be superpowered, given that this area is also the area that is the first to show signs of aging?
We’ll break down one of our newest launches, Bright-Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40, to show you how we get the job done.
To make sure Bright-Eyed wouldn’t irritate the sensitive eye area, we used only zinc oxide as the sunscreen active in the formula. More specifically, we ensured that the zinc oxide was non-nano, which means that it’s larger than 100 nanometers and won’t seep into pores.
As for the second bullet point, for your eyes in particular, prepping the skin entails making sure that it’s properly hydrated to create a nice soft, smooth canvas for makeup. Also, the eye area can have a tendency to be dry… so, we’ve put South African resurrection plant extract in Bright-Eyed to help provide hydration and help improve skin elasticity and smoothness.
And for the third point, we always try to include as many different ingredients in our products to turn them into a true “powerhouse smoothie,” if you will. In Bright-Eyed, there’s a blend of probiotics and caffeine to help brighten the under-eye area.
SPF for Your Face
When formulating SPF for your face, there are three main things to keep in mind, in addition to the big stuff:
- Can we make something that will truly feel good on the skin?
- Can we make a formula that plays well with makeup?
- Can we make a formula that will both nourish and protect your skin, especially since fine lines, wrinkles and loss of collagen is a primary concern amongst most people.
To illustrate how each of the above comes to life, let’s break down one of our best sellers, Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40.
In order to make sure that Unseen feels good on skin, we formulated it to have a natural, velvety finish. It was made to feel like a second skin, not something that’s heavy or greasy. The result is a weightless and invisible sunscreen that feels undetectable on your skin.
With all of our face sunscreens, we want to make sure they work wonderfully with makeup, which is why we added clean silicones to Unseen‘s formula. This inclusion gives Unseen its makeup-gripping powers.
Last but not least, Unseen helps nourish and hydrate skin without making it oily, thanks to meadowfoam complex.
SPF for Your Body
Now, when it comes to this type of SPF, there are three main things to keep in mind here, too.
- Not unlike our face products, can we make something for the body that will feel good on the skin?
- Can we make something that will play well with outdoor activities (running, swimming, etc.)?
- Can we make something that’s easy to apply?
We’ll break down our PLAY Antioxidant-Infused Mist SPF 50 to explain more…
When we thought about making the Antioxidant-Infused Mist feel good on your skin, we knew we had to make it hydrating. Traditionally the skin on your body is drier because we all neglect it – so the blend of oils in this formula really solve for that issue. Sunflower seed oil and grapeseed oil immensely help with this. Our Antioxidant-Infused Mist doesn’t only make your skin feel good, it also makes your skin LOOK good.
The Antioxidant-Infused Mist is also one of the best choices for outdoor activities, since it’s water-resistant for up to 80 minutes. Also, since it’s a formula with a clean chemical blend, it won’t trap heat and feels truly weightless.
Finally, SPF mists are notorious for being a pain to apply and blend in, so we had to ensure that our Antioxidant-Infused Mist would be a cinch to get on. That’s why we included our unique bag-on-valve technology, which allows the SPF to be sprayed at all angles (yes, even upside down!) and doesn’t allow any chemical propellants to enter the formula. Even better, this technology allows the mist to be applied to wet skin without a problem.
+Have more questions about how different kinds of SPF are formulated? Leave them in the comments!
