Glossier makes it into no 14 on the Sephora bestselling sunscreen list.
If you have not heard of Glossier, then in a nutshell, they are one of the original brand/founders who harnessed direct interaction with their readers/fans to produce products. If you want to see the outcome of intense and engaged social community, then look no further than Glossier products. Are they massively profitable as a result? I don’t know – but we are here to talk about their sunscreen!
What is the product?
The product is advertised as a “transparent water gel” and the marketing blurb is, “Undetectable, transparent formula means no greasy residue, no white cast, and no reason to not apply.”
This sunscreen is taping into the demand for products to be reapplied over make-up and that’s an untapped market because the average rate of reapplication is pretty poor. There are many reasons – prohibitive price – but the majority of modern sunscreens are simply not designed for reapplication. Efficacy of sunscreens is entirely reliant on applying the correct amount AND frequency
Ingredient list
1) What are the UV filters?
The UV filters are:
- Avobenzone (unstable UVA filter)
- Homosalate and Octisalate (are both weak UVB filters)
Q) How good is the protection against UV radiation?
I have reproduced the Ingredient list from the brand’s website below (click here) and as you can see there is no stabiliser for Avobenzone anywhere in the formulation. According to the US FDA,
“Avobenzone exhibits greater photoinstability than other UV absorbers; the available evidence shows that avobenzone degrades quickly upon exposure to sunlight, which can cause its efficacy to be decreased by between 50 and 90 percent after 60 minutes of exposure to sunlight (Refs. 138 and 139).[35] To address this, avobenzone is typically combined with a photostabilizer to prevent rapid photodegradation (Refs. 138 and 139).”
Q) What type of product is this?
This sunscreen is essentially a solid oil gel, with water in it.
Q) Breakdown of ingredients
- Emulsifier: cannot identifiy one
- Sunscreen dispersing agent (also emollients): Butyloctyl Salicylate, Caprylyl Methicone
- Sunscreen booster: Aqua (and) Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer (boosts the efficacy of UV filters by improving the distribution of the active over the skin without affecting skin feel.”)
- Ingredients that improve skin feel including Silicones: Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone (also silicone that leaves silky skin feel)
- Oil gelling agent: Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, (makes liquid oils hard gels or highly viscous gels)
- Thickeners: Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer (used as a gelling agent for aqueous systems), Acrylates Copolymer
- Preservative systems:
- Disodium EDTA (chelating agent),
- Tocopheryl Acetate (reduces rancidity in oils, prolonging shelf-life),
- Phenoxyethanol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin (preservative),
- Pentylene Glycol (reduces water activity),
- Hydroxyacetophenone
- Photostabilizer: Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate (trade name is RonaCare AP, which is as efficient as tocopherol and as stable as tocopherol acetate. However, it also has numerous other properties. In fact, the real efficacy of this substance starts where the activity of conventional ingredients such as antioxidants or UV filters ends. It is the ideal partner for the UV filter systems used in sunscreens and day-care cosmetics as its activity continues long after exposure to the sun has ceased, extending overnight.)
Actives
The sunscreen has a bunch of actives, which are probably present as water or glycerin based extracts, with or without preservatives. The actives are a combination of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
- Biosaccharide Gum-4
- Propanediol (and) Bioflavonoids (Anti-oxidant)
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
- Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract,
- Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract,
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract,
- Ascorbyl Palmitate
Ingredient List
Active Ingredients: Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 6%, Octisalate 5%
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Caprylyl Methicone, Propanediol, Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate, Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Butylene Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Silica, Bioflavonoids, Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate.”