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Science & Patents

Advancing & Innovating SPF Technology

The unique patented formulation of Solar D Sunscreens permits the passage of some of the wavelengths in the vitamin D forming range, about 290 to 310 nm while effectively filtering the unwanted, harmful wavelengths, about 315 to 380 nm.

Peer Review Study; New Approach to Develop Optimized Sunscreens that Enable Cutaneous Vitamin D Formation with Minimal Erythema Risk.

Sunscreens protect the skin against erythemal radiation. But at the same time they reduce the effective radiation dose responsible for the formation of previtamin D in the skin. Solar D was designed with compounds with differing filter compositions to maximize previtamin D3 production while maintaining its sun protection for reducing erythema. Therefore we have proof of principal that a sunscreen can be produced for optimizing previtamin D3 production while retaining its sun protection factor for reducing erythema. See full study here.

Solar D® Patent Information

Patent Name: Vitamin D Promoting Sunscreen
Patent number PCT/IB2009/055881P:
“The invention provides topical compositions that filters the UVA and most of the UVB, while also allowing passage of sufficient radiation in the approximately 295 to 315 nm range (i.e., within the UVB range) to permit production of an effective amount of vitamin D.” View patent.

Solar D also has a patent filed named Compositions that brighten skin, provide sun protection, and permit vitamin d production.

Solar D patents have been approved and issued in: USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand. Patent Pending in Europe, Brazil, India, China & Thailand. Patent offices, including the USPTO, have accepted this vitamin D promoting sunscreen technology as being novel and having an inventive step, which are requirements for being issued a patent.

Solar D SPF Technology

The objective in formulation Solar D sunscreens was to permit the passage (marked in the graphs below as “Pass”) of some of the wavelengths in the vitamin D forming range, about 290 to 310 nm while effectively filtering (“Filter”) the unwanted, harmful wavelengths, about 315 to 380 nm.

Eleven sunscreens (including two Solar D) were applied to plates and light was shined through them. A detector at the other end recorded what percentage of light was permitted to pass (i.e. was transmitted) for various wavelengths of light.

What was found was that there are four major groups of sunscreens, categorized as follows:

A.) Sunscreen products which permit the passage of some of the sunlight our skin uses to produce vitamin D, and effectively filter unwanted, harmful UV rays (see “Pass, Filter”), Solar D sunscreens are in this category, (dashed orange lines in figure below),

B.) Sunscreen products which effectively filter the sunlight our skin uses to produce vitamin D, and more or less effectively filter unwanted harmful UV rays (see “Filter, Filter”),

C.) Sunscreen products which permit the passage of some of the sunlight our skin uses to produce vitamin D, but do not effectively filter unwanted, harmful UV rays (see “Pass, Pass”), and

D.) Sunscreen products which effectively filter the sunlight our skin uses to produce vitamin D, and do not effectively filter unwanted, harmful UV rays (see “Filter, Pass”).

The yellow dash lines represents the Solar D SPF Technology (category A) that is clearly showing that it is the only SPF tested that screens out the UVA rays whilst letting in some of the UVB light to allow our bodies to produce vitamin D.