Piz Buin launches wet skin sun care

Johnson & Johnson owned sun care brand Piz Buin has launched a sunscreen spray that offers instant sun protection on wet or dry skin. Piz Buin Wet Skin Transparent Sun Spray is the first product in the UK to carry such claims, according to J&J, and is described as providing a hassle free alternative to applying traditional sunscreen. The line was developed following research which found consumers look for two key benefits in sun care, namely a product that is effective even when applied to wet skin and one that doesn’t feel sticky or greasy on the skin.

When ordinary transparent sunscreens are sprayed onto wet skin, they slide off leaving white marks. Piz Buin Wet Skin, in contrast, instantly cuts through the water barrier when applied to wet skin.

As Georgios Stamatas, J&J’s Research Associate Director – EMEA Skin Care Science and Scientific Communication, explained, most transparent sunscreens comprise a filter (a polymer) dissolved in an oil droplet, with the droplets themselves dissolved in a solvent like ethanol. When applied to dry skin, the ethanol evaporates and the oil droplets come together to form a layer on the surface of the skin, meaning the filter is spread out evenly. But when applied to wet skin, the water changes the solubility of the filter inside the oil droplets, making them come together, crystalise and turn white. In addition, the water makes the oil slip off the surface of the skin.

"With Piz Buin Wet Skin we introduce a mixture of polyester, resin and silicone together with the sunscreen filters and the regular oils in which they are dissolved,” said Stamatas. “We add the silicone to increase the solubility of the polymer inside the oil. The polyester and resin are hydrophobic – they make the products repel water so they can cut through water on the skin’s surface and still create this oil layer where the filters are dissolved, so you get nice uniform protection.”

Piz Buin Wet Skin comes in SPF15 and SPF30 variants and costs £17.99 for 150ml and is already available in selected retailers.