New Sunscreen Minimizes the Use and Synthetic Oils

The Nopa Nordic Group is launching a new range of sun care products without Dibutyl Adipate and C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate - two synthetic oils found in most sunscreens on the market. This is due to both a desire to use as many natural raw materials as possible and the fact that the two oils have negative side effects.

At the Nopa Nordic Group - Nopa Nordic and Allison - we always strive to create products that meet environmental and allergy certification requirements. But often we go even further.

Our new range of sun care products is an example of this.

Here we have replaced two synthetic oils that are found in many sunscreens on the market - Dibutyl Adipate and C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate - with natural oils. Thus, we have created sun care where up to 90 per cent of the ingredients are natural - and sun care with fewer potential negative side effects, as C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate contains impurities that can cause allergies, while Dibutyl Adipate can remove nail polish.

“Even if a sun care product is allergy-certified, it can still contain C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, because the oil is normally used in such small quantities that there should be no risk. At the Nopa Nordic Group, however, we are always looking for natural solutions, and in this case, we believe, it makes extra good sense,” explains Henrik Karup Jørgensen, CEO of the Nopa Nordic Group.

It’s About More Than Just SPF
At first glance, it may seem simple to remove two synthetic oils and replace them with natural oils. But in practice, it’s not that simple. You can’t just find a one-toone replacement on a supplier’s shelf. You need to develop, experiment, and test things yourself.

“Sun care is basically a mix of the right UV filters and the right oils to dissolve these filters. When you choose to work with and develop new oils, you’ll of course face some challenges. That’s the nature of development. The path to finding the blend that works involves many blends that don’t work,” explains Maria Bønnelykke, R&D Manager at Allison, noting that the sun protection factor is far from the only piece in the puzzle.

It’s also about creating sun care that doesn’t separate, sun care that is easy to spread, and sun care that is waterproof. Because sun care should retain its protective effect, even when some of it gets washed off in the ocean or the swimming pool.

“When it says, for example, SPF 50 on the tube or spray, it should also be an SPF 50 after you’ve been in the water. We have achieved this with the new sunscreen, while also reaching our goal of increased naturalness,” says Maria Bønnelykke.

Available as Lotion, Oil, Spray, and Roll-On
A further complexity when you increase the number of natural oils is that natural oils, unlike synthetic oils, are not 100 per cent identical from delivery to delivery.

There can and will be small variations, and that is why we at the Nopa Nordic Group have established the necessary testing setup to ensure the desired high quality in all our deliveries. 

The new range of sun care can be provided with a sun protection factor of 15, 20, 30, or 50 - and as a lotion, oil, spray, and roll-on. It’s possible to create a special variant for children as well.

The sun care solutions meet a range of the most well-known eco-labels: