Determination of seven sunscreen agents and two ultraviolet stabilizers in skin care products using ultra-performance liquid chromatography.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a well-known environmental carcinogen. Protection against UVR exposure has resulted in an increasing number of sunscreen agents being incorporated into a greater variety of cosmetic formulations including moisturizing lotions, color cosmetics, and skin care creams. Meanwhile, global regulation of sun care products is changing. New guidelines for sunscreen efficacy have resulted in a shift in product formulation that requires sunscreen products to provide broad spectrum UV protection. Since not all sunscreen ingredients protect against both UVA and UVB radiation, most sun care products require a combination of sunscreen agents. This article describes a new method for simultaneous separation and quantitation of seven organic sunscreens and two UV stabilizers using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. This method is capable of resolving all nine analytes, and has been validated for selectivity, precision, and accuracy. Because of the use of core-shell column technology, the separation is also achieved at back pressures compatible with conventional high-performance liquid chromatography instrumentation.