Sun Protection Factor (SPF) Determination of Cosmetic Formulations Made in Kinshasa (DR Congo) by In-Vitro Method using UV-VIS Spectrophotometer

The increasing consumer awareness on the risk of sun exposure related diseases like skin cancer etc., leads to the cosmetic formulation be approximately tested and Sun protection factor (SPF) claimed. The efficiency of the cosmetic formulation depends on the SPF value. Due to high cost and time consumption of in vivo SPF determination methods, in vitro methods are gaining more importance. The aim of this study is to determine the SPF of somebody creams and lotions made in Kinshasa by Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometry. Fourteen different commercially somebody creams and lotions made in Kinshasa by various manufacturers were procured and calculated SPF evaluated. The calculated SPF values were in the range of 0.30 to 21.84. It is observed that the proposed spectrophotometric method is simple, rapid and repeatable for the in vitro determination of  SPF values of sunscreen products.