Strengthening protection: Shiseido to debut Anessa sunscreens with new ‘self-repairing’ tech

The new technology will be featured in two new products in the Anessa Gold series, the Anessa Perfect UV Skin Care Milk NA and Anessa Perfect UV Skin Care Gel NA.

These products are scheduled for release on February 21.

Shiseido highlighted that the efficacy of UV protection hinges on establishing a uniform sunscreen film on the skin.

This means that regardless of the SPF rating, sunscreens remain effective only as long as the formula maintains an evenly distributed layer on the skin.

This film can be disrupted by external friction, caused by the contact between hands and face or facial movement. This causes the film to degrade and eventually reduce its UV protective capabilities.

“This revolutionary new technology was inspired by the fact that sunscreen can become undone and create gaps due to small facial movements. In addition to conventional technology, this product uses cutting-edge technology created as the culmination of over 100 years of ultraviolet research to provide flawless protection and beautiful skin.”​

Behind the science

According to Shiseido, the firm has been studying how it can incorporate ‘self-repairing’ ingredients to mitigate this issue.

“However, many of the components demonstrating self-repairing capabilities are in a gel –semi-solid form. When spread on the skin, they tend to become uneven, posing a challenge to the effective deployment of UV defence functions.”​

In order to tackle this issue and create a formulation that can be evenly applied while addressing deficiencies in the coating film, the firm’s researchers looked to improve the film’s fluidity.

To enhance the fluidity of the film it is typically required to decrease the powder content or increase the quantity of non-volatile solvent. However, this frequently results in undesirable sensory such as stickiness.

Leveraging its existing knowledge of material science, the company developed its latest Auto Repair Technology.

This involved the use of specific powder dispersants to improve the dispersion of powder within the coating film, leading to increased fluidity.

“This advancement allows for the automatic repair of micro-level scratches and wrinkles… We confirmed the recovery of UV defence functions within five minutes after intentionally causing scratches on the film,”​ said the company.

The firm added that its new technology was also expected to enhance the enduring aesthetic quality of foundation makeup and lip products.

Limitations in sun care

According to the firm, its consumer research showed that dissatisfaction with sunscreens was still high among users.

For instance, individuals have reported that even though they use sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF) rating, they still notice age spots. They also noted the difficulty of reapplication which they believed resulted in less effective UV protection.