Mineral sunscreen moisturizer offers positive cosmetic outcomes across skin types

Key takeaways:

• After 12 weeks, researchers observed a 23.4% improvement in overall photodamage in Fitzpatrick skin types I to III.
• An even higher improvement of 26.5% was observed in Fitzpatrick skin types IV to VI.

A new mineral sunscreen moisturizer was efficacious and well tolerated in improving photodamage in women with all skin types, according to a study.

“Among certain consumers, mineral sunscreen actives are favored over chemical sunscreen actives due to less irritation and perceive safety concerns with mineral sunscreens over their chemical counterparts,” Joel L. Cohen, MD, FAAD, FACMS, director of AboutSkin Dermatology and AboutSkin Research, and colleagues wrote. “Despite preferences for mineral sunscreens, these sunscreens can have major aesthetic drawbacks.”

According to the study, some of these drawbacks may include a thick, greasy feel as well as a white cast that can be particularly upsetting for darker skin types, thus hindering proper usage of this sun protective measure. As a result, a multi-functional, sheer, 100% mineral sunscreen moisturizer, comprised of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with broad-spectrum SPF 50, was formulated.

In this study, the researchers evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of this mineral sunscreen moisturizer over the span of 12 weeks in 39 healthy women aged 36 to 60 years with moderate to severe overall facial photodamage. All Fitzpatrick skin types were represented in the study. Ultimately, 34 women completed the study.

After 12 weeks of applying the moisturizer to the face and neck every morning, and reapplied as needed, the researchers observed a 23.4% and 26.5% improvement in overall photodamage in Fitzpatrick skin types I to III and IV to VI, respectively. Skin tone evenness, fine lines, hyperpigmentation and skin roughness all significantly improved by 25%, 25.5%, 26.1% and 35.9% by week 12.

Investigators observed scaling and peeling while participants also reported tightness and dryness upon using the moisturizer, mainly at weeks 8 and 12. However, the majority of cases were mild and could be attributed to the study’s timeframe which occurred during the fall and winter, according to the study.

Three adverse events were reported with one participant experiencing a severe irritant reaction to the washout products before baseline and a second participant reporting moderate irritant conjunctivitis possibly related to the study product. The third adverse event and one serious adverse event were deemed unrelated to the study.

“The [mineral sunscreen moisturizer] is a clinically validated, somatically elegant option for patients of a wide range of skin tones searching for a multifunctional, sheer, 100% mineral sunscreen moisturizer without hidden chemical SPF-boosting ingredients,” the authors concluded.