Sunscreen basics

Sunlight puts us in a good mood and is important for our health. Like so many other things, however, dosage is critical. If you spend too much time in the sun too often, high-energy UV rays can cause major damage to your skin over the long term. Longwave UVA radiation causes the skin to tan quickly for short periods, and long-term exposure ages the skin prematurely. Shortwave UVB radiation, on the other hand, is responsible for sunburns that, in the worst-case scenario, can lead to  skin cancer. For these reasons, dermatologists advise all sun worshipers to protect their skin with sunscreen—and to err on the side of applying it too thickly rather than too thinly. Over 40 million sun cream bottles  are sold in German groceries and pharmacies each year as a result. Sales in this segment are currently estimated at roughly €213.9 million—and that trend is rising.

The factor by which a sunscreen increases protection from dangerous UVB rays relative to unprotected skin is indicated on the package as the sun protection factor, or SPF. In these products, various chemical substances filter the radiation. 

VESTASOL®, which is to a large part made from isophorone from Evonik’s Crosslinkers business line, offers cosmetic actives manufacturers a key starting ingredient  for producing highly active UVB filters. Put simply, VESTASOL® provides the critical foundation for all of the subsequent synthesis steps needed to generate UVB protection in sunscreens. The UV filters approved for use in Europe are listed in Germany’s Cosmetics Ordinance. In addition, processing the isophorone further removes this chemical building block from the final product. 

Crosslinkers - Creating Marketable and Intelligent Solutions

Since 1962, Evonik is a pioneer and reliable partner for its customers and their needs all over the word in the field of isophorone chemistry. Today, 60 years later, Evonik is represented worldwide by its innovative isophorone-based VESTA brand family. Applications range from coatings and adhesives to civil engineering, high-performance elastomers and composites. Evonik is now going even further by being the first company in the world to create a sustainable isophorone string in order to take a pole position in climate protection and to help customers to improve their carbon footprint.

VESTASOL® is a key base material for safe sun protection.