At the latest edition of the 2025 Sunscreen Symposium, organized by the Florida Chapter of the Society of Cosmetics Chemists (SCC) in Lake Buena Vista, the U.S. subsidiary of Japan’s Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. presented a variety of next-gen high SPF mineral and organic sunscreen formulations designed to address new consumer demands for broad-spectrum sun defense products with improved transparency, smooth spreadability, and elevated aesthetic appeal.

Indeed, SESA said, when it comes to sensory expectations, traditional mineral and organic sunscreens often fall short, feeling greasy or heavy and leaving behind visible residue or a white cast — issues that are especially noticeable on deeper skin tones. The showcased formulations were based on a series of ingredient innovations.

New mineral dispersions and powder dispersant

In order to foster the development of aesthetically pleasing high SPF mineral sunscreens, with minimal to no whitening, SESA debuted two dispersions that can be easily formulated into various formats:

  • SPD-WT1 [1], an aqueous dispersion of hydrophobically treated ultrafine Titanium Dioxide (TiO2). This easy-to-use highly concentrated dispersion can be added to the water phase. According to SESA, it makes it easy to create higher SPF Products−while achieving both water resistance and washability with soap. It is ideal for mineral and hybrid sunscreen applications.
  • SPD-T5L [2], a fine particle TiO2 dispersion stabilized by a proprietary branched silicone-polyglycerin copolymer dispersant that gives the dispersions a high active content with low product viscosity. According to SESA, this product is essentially non-whitening, with a silky light skin feel and can be easily used in a variety of formats.

To further improve the dispersion of powder in various types of oil including silicone fluids, SESA also introduced a new silicone dispersant dubbed KF-6115 [3]. According to the company, this Polyglycerin-modified silicone dispersant greatly improves improve the stability and transparency of the final preparation with maximum UV absorber loading with minimum viscosity.

New alkyl-modified silicone elastomer gels

SESA additionally highlighted two alkyl-modified silicone elastomer gels, at the Florida SCC Sunscreen Symposium:

  • KSG-45 [4], a silicone elastomer gel that is swollen with a plant-based oil that delivers a dryer skin feel with enhanced mattifying and thickening effect in highly organic systems.
  • X-22-6695B [5], an alkyl modified silicone crosspolymer gel swelled in Jojoba oil that can be used not only as thickening agent for organic and natural ingredients but also works as an emulsifier for making W/O Emulsions. The crosslinker is glycerin modified which provides good moisturizing effect, SESA claimed. It is PEG-free, high shine, organic-compatible, self-emulsifying elastomer gel.

Sunscreen concepts

The company illustrated the potential of these ingredients by presenting two sunscreen concepts:

– SPF 50 Sheer Zinc Mineral Sunscreen Milk, a globally compliant, non-whitening formula shake type containing a high level of nano-fine ZnO using KF-6115 as the dispersant. To add to the silky soft feel, KSG-45 Elastomer gel was incorporated for a powdery feel and soft-focus effect.

– SPF 40 Anhydrous Clear Gel Sunscreen, a translucent elastomer gel-based sunscreen incorporating KSG-45 and X-22-6695B to avoid the greasy, heavy feel and low SPF that are typical to anhydrous clear gel sunscreens. Instead, according to SESA, KSG-45 provides a soft, velvety lightweight feel, while X-22-6695B has excellent compatibility−yielding higher SPF. The end result is a formula with non-greasy, velvety smooth finish without leaving a white cast.

“Consumers are seeking optimal aesthetic effects while providing broad spectrum SPF protection. The formulations and textures we presented at the event offered a wide array of SPF low viscosity sunscreens to higher viscosity lotions, as well as anhydrous types−all with elegant skin feel and non-whitening effect on the skin. This continues to evolve our mission of providing forward-thinking solutions to sunscreen formulation challenges in the marketplace,” commented Aga Montes, Senior Chemist at SESA’s Cosmetics Application Laboratory, Paramus, NJ.