Kolmar Korea announced on the 24th that it has developed the ‘UV-DUO PLUS’ technology to stabilize a complex raw material that combines organic and inorganic ultraviolet filters within sunscreen formulations.
Ultraviolet filters are divided into organic and inorganic categories based on their methods of blocking UV rays. Organic filters absorb ultraviolet rays and convert them into heat energy, minimizing the whitening effect on the skin and enhancing spreadability. In contrast, inorganic filters reflect ultraviolet rays on the skin's surface, causing less skin irritation and providing excellent UV protection, but they can lead to a whitening effect.
A mixed ultraviolet filter that applies both mechanisms has been developed; however, when combining ingredients, the organic filter components tend to aggregate with the oil components in the formulation. This resulted in a technical limitation where the UV blocking components did not adequately cover the skin, leading to spaces for UV rays to penetrate.
To resolve this aggregation phenomenon of ingredients, Kolmar Korea has introduced a new composite raw material where the inorganic filter is encapsulated by the organic filter and developed the UV-DUO PLUS technology to evenly disperse this raw material within the formulation.
Kolmar Korea has completed the patent registration for ‘a cosmetic composition for UV protection comprising a composite of organic and inorganic UV filters’ to secure a new market for composite ultraviolet filters.
A sunscreen formulated with the UV-DUO PLUS technology has been confirmed to have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50+ PA++++ and has received approval as a functional cosmetic for UV protection from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Additionally, they are currently in the process of international patent application (PCT) to target overseas markets.
A representative from Kolmar Korea noted, “While a simple mixture of the two ingredients is currently sold on the market, there are no composite ultraviolet filters that perfectly combine organic and inorganic components,” adding that they plan to use the UV-DUO PLUS technology to develop various sun care products to expand their market presence both domestically and globally.