While Benzophenone-type filters have a good absorbance in the UV-B region, they do not block UV-A radiation efficiently. Therefore, a series of Benzotriazole filters for use in personal care products exhibit strong performance over the whole ultraviolet range.
UV absorber
For cosmetic products, the packaging is an important sales point because an attractive appearance is essential if they are to have customer appeal, decoratively printed packs, and also transparent bottles that may contain attractively colored products, can be seen on the shelves of all retail stores.
Particularly in this last case - the transparent pack - the product is susceptible to UV radiation and it is then necessary to add UV filters in order to protect it. This sector is becoming increasingly important for the use of UV absorbers.
The most important field of application, quantitywise, for UV absorbers in cosmetics is that of skin protection, particularly their use in sun-screening preparations that protect the skin from sunburn. While the use of -UV absorbers for skin protection is regulated in many countries, e.g. in the USA, EC, and in Japan, by official "positive lists", much more UV absorbers can be used to protect the product itself, provided that the concentration does not exceed 0.5 %.
Polysilicone-15 is a polymeric UV-B filter with a polysiloxane backbone to which UV-B absorbing chromophores are attached. Thanks to its silicone backbone, it offers additional benefits, such as improved combing and shine.