The novel sunscreen technology aims to address consumer needs for high UV protection in hot and humid climates while maintaining a lightweight, non-greasy feel, and shine control.
This new approach was detailed in a publication in the February 2025 issue of Cosmetic Science and announced through a press statement on March 10.
The core of the innovation lies in the use of Polyionic Complex Gel Particles (PGP) which are formed by binding polymers with many positive charges in an aqueous solution that is negatively charged.
These PGP form the base of the sunscreen formulation, an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion, and has been shown to perform better than O/W formulas without PGP.
“It has been found that this formulation shows higher UV absorption capacity compared to existing water-in-oil emulsion formulations that do not use PGP with the same amount of UV filters. This is thought to be because the powder is uniformly dispersed within the three-dimensional structure of the PGP, allowing it to fully exert its effect,” said the researchers.
Despite containing a significant amount of oil, the formulation claims to have a light and refreshing texture.
According to the firm it was well-received in user trials with 245 Asian women aged 20 to 40.
The development of this technology was driven by the specific demands of consumers living in Asia.
“In the hot and humid regions of Asia, products with a lightweight, non-sticky feel, shine control effects, and resistance to sweat and sebum are highly desired. While maintaining high UV protection, a sunscreen formulation that meets these consumer demands was developed using the new PGP technology, created by R&I Japan.”
Self-repairing UV
According to the research team, the film created by the PGP-based sunscreen exhibited self-repairing capabilities, making it resistant to damage, such as friction.
This would give the formula enhanced durability and potentially longer-lasting protection.
The same film was also found to have inherent micro-irregularities that scatter light, leading to a shine-prevention effect.
Interestingly, researchers pointed out that this effect is enhanced upon contact with sweat and sebum.
“Furthermore, the film formed by this formulation spontaneously creates fine irregularities and exhibits an excellent shine-preventing effect by scattering light. When it comes into contact with sweat or sebum, this structure is emphasised, so we can expect the effect to be enhanced and sustained.”
Coming soon
The PGP technology will debut in Lancôme UV Expert Xtreem Shield SPF 50+ in April.
This week, Lancôme started to tease the launch on its social media channels.
This product has been billed as the brand’s “first ever self-regenerating UV protection” and its “the biggest UV protection innovation in a decade”.
The brand claims that the product is waterproof, sweat-proof, rubbing-proof, and friction-proof, formula that is six-times more resistant than conventional UV formulas.
Additionally, the sun care formula was tested on 49 Asian women and 71% saw an improvement in spot colour density in 12 weeks.