All-in-one: Kolmar Korea develops multifunctional sunscreen formula that tackles pollution
To create a shield against fine dust particles, the firm utilised cerium oxide, an inorganic UV filter that is used in sun protection products.
Kolmar explained that a characteristic of cerium oxide was its ability to generate static electricity.
By negatively charging it, the firm was able to create a formula that would repel fine dust particles and keep it from settling on the surface of the skin.
Apart from protection from UV rays and particle pollutants, the formula can also aid in improving the skin barrier and keep the skin moisturised.
The cerium oxide component was further modified, allowing it to remove dead skin cells and restore damaged skin cells and prevent ageing, claimed Kolmar.
In addition, the formula promotes the synthesis of ceramide, which functions to prevent moisture loss and is critical to skin barrier repair.
The company said this new formula would satisfy the growing need for cosmetic products that offer all-rounded skin protection.
It believes this will lead to the development of more multi-functional cosmetic products from skin care to colour cosmetics.
“The market for multi-care products are growing every year and Kolmar will continue to invest in the research and development of these products,” said the company.
Sun care potential
Previously in April, Kolmar said it had planned to aggressively tap into the sun category by actively working on more multifunctional sun care products.
In the same month, it announced that it had developed a blue light blocking sunscreen that had completed patent registration in December last year.
The company said that it was developed with a technology that blocks harmful light in all areas, ranging from ultraviolet to blue light to near-infrared light.
Kolmar claims that it can block all harmful wavelengths, from 290 to 1400 nanometers, that damage the skin.
Blue light, for instance, has a wavelength of more than 500 nanometers and is known to cause premature skin ageing and skin damage.
According to the firm, it planned to use the technology to develop a product that can maintain a clean skin tone while blocking external hazards by combining high energy visible light (HEV) blocking technology with skin tone-tailoring technology.
“The emphasis on the importance of UV protection is driving our development of new formulations and differentiated sun care products every year through the development of advanced sun care technology,” said Kye Sung-bong, executive director of Kolmar’s makeup research institute.