Symrise celebrates sun protection milestone

The 150 shades of innovation campaign marks a significant milestone for Symrise, which has been pioneering UV filters since 1938.

The campaign was established to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the first patent of Symrise’s founding father, Wilhelm Haarmann. Symrise is also commemorating the pioneering work, processes, and ingredients from its Sun Protection business. The Holzminden-based company has been shaping the market for over 70 years through leading research and delivering game-changing product innovations in the skincare and sun care space. 

The sun care category is developing rapidly and many suppliers put products on the market. From the first patent for a UV filter in 1938 until today, these factors have driven product innovation and fulfilled consumer demands. Thanks to its more than 70 years of experience, Symrise has developed an in-depth understanding of the sun’s effects on skin. 

Originally focused on ultraviolet radiation defense, today light protection extends beyond ‘beach products’. The Cosmetic Ingredients Division of Symrise offers a broad portfolio of ingredients for protection from UVA and UVB to infra-red and visible and blue light. 

“Innovation forms the cornerstone of our industry. It drives us to develop cutting-edge sun care products and functional ingredients that protect and nourish the skin. By embracing innovation, we stay ahead of the curve and strive to fulfil the evolving needs of our customers,” says Timothy Kenny, Global President Cosmetic Ingredients at Symrise.

Category innovation over the years

Symrise is also highlighting sun protection in its 150 shades of innovation campaign, which looks at the history of sun care. The campaign also highlights the company’s industry-shaping innovations, products, and ingredients as well as the differences in global customer demands and use. 

For instance, the choice of UV filters is being reduced due to regulatory provisions or consumer wishes regarding product properties and ingredients. This makes the development of sunscreens with a high sun protection factor (SPF) increasingly complex. Functional Performance Boosters (FPBs) therefore play a key role in the development of sunscreen formulations to achieve a high SPF under challenging conditions. 

“Our award-winning product SymEffect® Sun impressively demonstrates our profound understanding of the needs in the development of modern sunscreens. With its unique natural-based 360° approach, it can effectively enhance the efficiency of the used UV-filters, improve water resistance and formulation stability, and exerts a beneficial impact on the skin feel of the emulsions. Based on responsibly sourced raw materials, it forms the next step towards a higher degree of sustainability and naturalness in sun protection cosmetics,” says Ev Suess, Global Head Business Unit Sun Protection, Functionals & Colours, Cosmetic Ingredients. 

Regional development support for customers

While providing the best possible protection will remain a central goal for sun care offerings, Symrise also recognises that consumers are increasingly demanding more from the products they use. Symrise’s regional application laboratories support customers worldwide in the formulation of sun care products, which meet regional consumers’ needs. 

The campaign will underscore this interplay between cross-category capabilities and regional application laboratories within Cosmetic Ingredients. It will also consider Symrise’s accumulated knowledge in the sun care space. Together, this will continue to position the company as one of the leading and most innovative players in sun protection.