SPF Boosters

What is driving the demand for SPF boosters?

1. The conscious beauty evolution

Modern consumers heavily scrutinise ingredients, creating demand for ingredients that are perceived as being “safer”, “cleaner” and “more sustainable.” Because regulatory and consumer pressures limit the use and dosage of certain UV filters, formulators must do more with less. SPF boosters provide a vital mechanism to maximise the efficacy of a minimised UV filter load, helping brands to meet conscious beauty mandates without sacrificing performance.

2. The demand for premium sensoriality and daily wear hybrids

Sun protection is a fundamental pillar of daily anti-ageing and skin longevity routines. An independent YouGov survey commissioned by online retailer Face the Future in 2025 revealed that 55% of UK consumers apply SPF daily or most days, representing an increase from 22% the year before in the same study. Consumers expect their daily SPF to behave like a premium skin care serum or lightweight moisturiser. High levels of inorganic filters (such as Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide) can cause unacceptable whitening and drag on the skin, while excessive organic filters can leave a sticky, oily residue on the skin. SPF boosters can allow for a reduction in total UV filter percentage, allowing the creation of ultra-light, breathable, and cosmetically elegant textures that encourage daily use.

3. Strict regulatory landscape and UV filter restrictions

The global regulatory framework for UV filters is complex, with regional variations in approved filters and maximum usage limits strictly enforced worldwide. The industry faces an innovation ceiling when relying solely on UV filters. Boosting technologies provide a compliant avenue to elevate in vivo SPF values within existing regulatory boundaries.

How do SPF boosters work?

To maximise the performance of a sun care formulation, formulators can leverage several distinct booster mechanisms:

• Light scattering and refractive index modification: Spherical particles and specialised polymers create an optical path elongation effect. By scattering incident UV light within the sunscreen film, the probability of light absorption by the primary UV filters is significantly increased, reducing potential interaction with the skin.
• Uniform film formation and rheology control: Standard emulsions can dry unevenly on the skin, leaving microscopic gaps where UV rays can penetrate. Advanced film-forming boosters ensure a uniform, cohesive, and flexible layer across the skin's uneven surface, maintaining film integrity and ensuring consistent skin protection.
• Mineral filter dispersion optimisation: Inorganic filters are prone to agglomeration, which drastically reduces their active surface area and compromises UV attenuation. Polymeric and lipid-based dispersants keep particles perfectly suspended and spaced in the formulation, maximising particulate efficiency and reducing the visible white cast upon application to the skin.

Formulating for the SPF booster trend

Implementing SPF boosters requires a holistic understanding of emulsion architecture, phase behaviour, and interfacial chemistry.

Inorganic UV filter optimisation

When formulating inorganic  sunscreens, particle distribution is paramount. Incorporating specialised ester dispersants and coated mineral oxides prevents flocculation. This approach optimises the UV attenuation curve and enhances the sensory profile by mitigating the heavy, dragging sensation typically associated with high- solid loadings.

Daily wear hybrid formulation

As sunscreens evolve into daily wear formats, consumers increasingly expect ultra-light textures such as serums, fluids and gels that deliver high protection without compromising skin feel. Achieving these aesthetics at high SPF can be challenging, as higher UV filter loads may impact spreadability and sensory performance. By enhancing UV filter efficiency, SPF boosters can help formulators maintain high protection while reducing filter levels, providing greater flexibility to develop lightweight hybrid sunscreen formats with elegant textures and more uniform skin coverage.

Our new ‘SPF Boosters – Your essential selection guide’ is designed to help you find the right SPF booster for your next sunscreen innovation and takes the guesswork out of your ingredient selection.

Croda’s Capabilities in SPF Boosting

Croda Beauty offers a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance ingredients, designed to unlock the full potential of your sun care formulations. Our globally recognised expertise encompasses:

• NatraGem™ Range: the NatraGem E series comprises 100% natural, robust oil-in-water (O/W) emulsifiers that enable the creation of sunscreens that spread easily and absorb quickly into the skin. The range offers versatile sensory profiles. NatraGem EW delivers rich, nourishing textures. NatraGem E145 can create light, fluid, low-viscosity lotions.
• Crodabond™ CSN offers a powerful solution to bridge the gap between efficacy and elegance through enhanced film formation benefits. This 100% natural emollient has been proven to boost SPF and UVA protection by improving UV filter distribution and enhancing spreadability on the skin. Crodabond CSN supports reliable, uniform skin protection whilst maintaining a smooth and elegant skin feel, enabling high-performance sunscreens without sacrificing wearability.
• OleoCraft™ Technology: A versatile series of oil-structuring polymers that create  long-lasting films on the skin, inherently boost SPF performance and deliver versatile textures from lightweight sprays to sticks and balms.

Summary

SPF Boosters such as Croda Beauty’s Crodabond™ CSN, the NatraGem™ E series, and the OleoCraft™ range, improve film formation, increase UV scattering and optimise UV filter distribution. Maximising the efficacy of a minimised UV filter load, SPF boosters allow cosmetic scientists to achieve high target SPF and UVAPF values without compromising on formula compliance or environmental standards. Crucially, these technologies  enable a reduction in total UV filter levels. Reduced UV filter levels for the same performance are more cost effective. They also help to reduce heavy residues and white casts to deliver the ultra-light, cosmetically elegant, and premium sensorial textures required for modern daily wear hybrid cosmetics.