As a leader in the sun-care market, Coppertone (Bayer) says they’re going the extra mile to ensure their sunscreen really works.
“Our continued investment in comprehensive testing programs go beyond what is required by the FDA, such as real world-use studies involving outdoor recreational activity, including swimming in a pool,” says Eduardo Ruvolo, director of medical affairs of sun care and skin care at Bayer.
In fact, over the past 30 years, Coppertone has conducted 143 real-world, sunscreen-use studies, involving 16,500 volunteers between the ages of 3 and 66.
To provide consumers with an even greater degree of transparency, which they hope creates trust and peace of mind about using their sunscreen, Coppertone “took the unprecedented steps of retaining an independent firm to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of our sun care program, and then shared the results publicly,” Mr. Ruvolo tells Cosmetic Surgery Times.
An industry first, according to the company, Coppertone opened its facilities, processes and records to third-party AccountAbility to conduct an Independent Assurance Report.
"The results of the independent assurance assessment show that Coppertone products consistently and reliably provide the level of sun protection that our consumers expect, and trust us to deliver,” Mr. Ruvolo said in a company press release.
The assessment was conducted between December 2016 and March 2017, covering the period between January 2016 and December 2016.
Patient Compliance
Two of the biggest barriers to sunscreen compliance, according to Mr. Ruvolo, are “the hassle of the application process and the way sunscreen feels on skin.”
A problem, especially when it comes to sun protection to preserve nonsurgical aesthetic results.
“Skin is especially sensitive and vulnerable after any cosmetic procedure,” Mr. Ruvolo says. “Therefore, it is incredibly important to protect skin from the sun’s rays, which can cause further skin damage and unwanted pigmentation, especially during the critical postprocedure healing period.”
According to Mr. Ruvolo, their CLEARLYSheer Whipped Sunscreens were designed to foster patient compliance. The whipped formulation also extends to their WaterBABIES line, making it “… perfect for those who use sunscreen themselves, as well as on their babies, because they go on easily and fast, and absorb quickly, feeling light on skin and leaving it feeling soft.”
And, notably, one of the benefits of solid sun protection is slowing the process of skin aging — and it’s never too late to start.
“Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen helps protect skin from both UVA and UVB rays,” says Mr. Ruvolo, who notes that a 2013 Australian study in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed it is never too late to start wearing sunscreen.
