An acrylates copolymer is the best addition to sunscreens. Of course, sunscreens protect our skin from UV radiation, but who protects them from photodegradation and water? That's when AvoBriteTM comes into play.
This ingredient is also a multi-benefit key ingredient in sunscreens formulas. It is an excellent texture enhancer, film-forming agent, and emollient that offers hydration and can improve water resistance.
In the case of AvoBriteTM, Hallstar Beauty took one step further, preventing the photodegradation of UV filters, such as Avobenzone. Thus, AvoBriteTM combines excellent cost-effective performance with a soft feel in sunscreen formulations.
It offers the best of the best when it comes to photo stabilization technology, even increasing the SPF value of sunscreens!
What is an Acrylates Copolymer?
Acrylates copolymer is the INCI name given to a mixture of synthetic copolymers containing two or more long chains of monomers like methacrylic acid, acrylic acid, and one of their esters.
Thus, an acrylates copolymer is a big molecule resulting from repeated subunits that can bind to each other (monomers). It comes in the physical form of a fluffy white powder or white microbeads with a slight acetic odor.
This is one of the most commonly produced microplastics in the cosmetic industry today. And Hallstar Beauty is one major producer of this ingredient under the name AvoBriteTM.
Acrylates Copolymer Benefits
Acrylates copolymer has many applications in the cosmetics world. It is incorporated in various formulations, such as body lotions, sunscreens, creams, shampoos, nail paints, and even hair products, as it aids in smoothing and detangling shafts.
Due to their polymeric nature, first and foremost, an acrylates copolymer is used as a film-forming agent that forms a pliable covering on the skin when dried. While doing so also improves the sensory experience when using creams and lotions, providing a nice, soft-after feel when applied.
According to research, incorporating an acrylates copolymer into body washes could be beneficial in reducing skin itchiness. Their results showed that an acrylates copolymer film helps reduce friction between the skin and clothing, thus decreasing skin irritation.
Also, depending on the concentration, acrylates copolymer works as a thickener agent, increasing the viscosity of formulations. This is thanks to the molecule's ability to expand when combined with water-based (hydrophilic) ingredients.
AvoBriteTM shows the most significant thickening effect at a pH of 5.0. Acrylates copolymer can also be a texture enhancer agent, giving formulas a smooth, glossy finish paired with a light, cushiony feel upon application.
Furthermore, this ingredient can work as an emulsifier, keeping oily and water-based ingredients together, improving product consistency, and ensuring an even topical application. Finally, acrylates copolymer is a versatile and noble ingredient. It works well with many actives and additives, showing effective performance in a broad pH range.
This ingredient is also used in other beauty products, showcasing many interesting features such as an adhesive, binding and suspending agent, artificial nail builder, and hair fixative. So, acrylates copolymer is a true multi-benefit ingredient with endless applications!
Is Acrylate Crosspolymer Safe?
Acrylates copolymer has a track record of safety backed by the Cosmetics Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel, a third-party international group responsible for assessing the safety of skincare and cosmetic ingredients.
This ingredient is safe for its approved uses in concentrations as high as 30%, with none of the studies indicating any level of irritation. However, the Expert Panel did note that acrylates copolymer should not be polymerized using benzene.
Benzene is toxic, highly carcinogenic, irritant, and environmentally hazardous. So, the total benzene content should not exceed 0.5% of a product's weight.
AvoBriteTM As a Water Resistant Enhancer in Sunscreens
AvoBriteTM is an excellent film-forming polymer that enhances the water-resistant properties of sunscreen formulas in which it is incorporated. It is commonly used at a 5 – 6% level.
As a polymer, AvoBriteTM forms a protective barrier over the sunscreen film once it contacts water, which explains its water resistance properties. But this technology goes beyond repelling water molecules.
The polymeric film has a different refractive index than the sunscreen film, causing diffraction (or deviation) of the incident light, thus increasing its path length and leading to a subsequent increase in SPF.
AvoBriteTM is the Latest Photostabilization Technology in Sunscreens
First, you must understand how sunscreens work.
Sunscreens are made of organic chemicals and inorganic compounds that act as UV filters. Inorganic materials, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are chemicals that scatter UV light through physical processes.
Organic materials, though, work a little differently. Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone), reduces the amount of UV light skin exposure by absorbing the radiation and secondary disposal in different ways.
One way is by undergoing photoinduced decomposition and structural transformation reactions, releasing damaging and unstable molecules called free radicals as byproducts.
These reactive oxygen species (ROS) may interact with other sunscreen ingredients and elemental skin cell components (e.g., lipids, proteins, DNA), causing photoaging, allergic reactions, or toxic degradation compounds.
Also, the sunscreen's absorbing property and UV-protective capacity can be diminished during this process due to induced oxidative damage. So, this is where AvoBriteTM is extremely useful!
AvoBriteTM effectively quenches (better than Octocrylene, we may add) the excited states of Avobenzone molecules, diminishing the usual photodegradation reactions occurring in these high-energy states.
Returning the excited states of Avobenzone quickly to their basal state allows absorption of incoming UV photons to be possible yet again, increasing Avobenzone's filtering efficiency (approx. 11-18% boost in SPF per 1% AvoBrite®).
Thus, using additives such as AvoBriteTM in sunscreens can maximize Avobenzone's strong UV absorption potential. Also, it can provide high photostability and prevent photodegradation.
The Takeaway
AvoBriteTM is Hallstar Beauty's newest product. It is designed to ensure effective protection of Avobenzone against its photodegradation. Also, it provides sunscreens and facial skincare products with enhanced water-resistant properties.
This ingredient was specially engineered to pair an elegant skin feel with the most effective protection against UVA irradiation, a top concern for skincare enthusiasts everywhere.
AvoBriteTM is the result of decades of research on photo stabilization technology. So, with this product, you get safer, stronger SPF (50+), and longer-lasting sun protection!
