Press Release
September 1, 2018
Formulating Hawaii Compliant Sunscreen Formulations
To support customers that desire to develop sunscreen products for the Hawaii market, DSM has created 2 new sunscreen formulations that meet the new ingredient requirements.
The New Hawaii State Law Regarding Allowable UV Filters
In June 2018, the US state of Hawaii signed into law the world’s first ban on the sale of sunscreens containing two UV filters in particular - oxybenzone and octylmethoxycinnamate.
The bill (Hawaii Senate Bill 2571) bans the sale of any sunscreen containing oxybenzone, octinoxate or both, without a medically licensed prescription as of January 1, 2021. This does not include products marketed or intended for use as a cosmetic for the face as defined in section 328-1.
As a science-based company, DSM shares some concern about the limitations of the scientific evidence, on which the Hawaii ban is based.
However, respecting Hawaii’s decision, DSM understands that this ban raises concerns among customers and consumers and creates considerable challenges for sunscreen formulators, since the US market also has the least amount of allowable sunscreen filters in the world. Concerned about how to maintain adequate SPF protection with the loss of two key UV filters, companies have begun actively seeking new solutions to meet existing SPF levels.
Ready-to-Go Hawaii-Compliant Sunscreen Formulations from DSM
To support customers that desire to formulate sun protection products for the Hawaii market, DSM has created 2 new sunscreen formulations that meet the new ingredient requirements:
- Zero Mark Sun Stick SPF 40
- Gentle Sunscreen Spray SPF 30
DSM’s SUNSCREEN OPTMIZER™ can help you to optimize your formulations!
DSM’s SUNSCREEN OPTIMIZER™ is a free online tool allowing every formulator to develop the most efficient sunscreen formulation, by optimizing the existing one before going into a large number of in vivo SPF measurements.
Our simulation tool helps formulators optimize sunscreen formulations by:
- Considering various performance criteria including SPF, UVA but also blue light protection
- Full utilizing inorganic filters TiO2 and ZnO
- Including regulatory boundaries
- Considering research on photo stabilization