Merck’s Coppertone Unit Eyes Athlete Market With Sport Pro Series Sun Care

Merck’s new Coppertone Sport Pro Series is positioned as “high-performance” sun-care products for sports enthusiasts. A dual polymer system ensures the products stay put on skin, but allow sweat out.

Aimed at “serious” athletes who might otherwise skip sun protection, Merck & Co. Inc. launches Coppertone Sport Pro Series featuring DuraFlex technology, designed to stay on skin through sweating due to heat, humidity and exercise.

Coppertone Sport Pro Series

“This product has set a new bar for us for sport performance,” Patricia Agin, scientific affairs leader at Coppertone’s Solar Research Center, told “The Rose Sheet” in a Feb. 23 interview. Pro Series “is made for serious athletes who are really looking for more durable protection.”

Merck is positioning the products as “high-performance equipment for active sports enthusiasts that moves with your skin even during vigorous workouts,” according to press materials.

Greater sunscreen compliance among athletes is one of Merck’s goals for the line. The firm cites data indicating that those participating in outdoor sports use sunscreen at a lower rate than those at the beach or the pool.

Evan Bashoff, product manager for Coppertone, noted during an interview that many athletes avoid sunscreen products because they don’t like the resulting “sticky feeling” that could impact performance.

That stickiness can compromise athletes’ grip on sports equipment, but in a controlled exercise study at the Solar Research Center, scientists found that Pro Series doesn’t leave residue on hands that would have such an effect.

“There are a lot of people out there who play sports, but who don’t use sunscreen,” he said. “Part of our mission is to get people to use sunscreen. … We want to give them products that are easier for them and more comfortable, and we think this is a great example of that.”

In addition, Pro Series products are lightweight but stay put, so they don’t run into athletes’ eyes and sting, the firm says.

The products’ “dual-polymer system combines strength and flexibility, holding sunscreen actives in a matrix on the skin for advanced durability as the body moves and sweats,” according to press materials.

Agin explained: “It’s a matrix of two ingredients that work together kind of like a mesh to help keep the ingredients on the skin, but they also help you sweat through it.”

Testing at the Solar Research Center found that 95% of the product remains on the skin following 30 minutes of intense exercise, according to the exec.

Moreover, Pro Series products have proven to be beneficial for the skin.

A clinical trial conducted by the company showed that Pro Series “significantly” boosts skin hydration levels with one application, and additional applications help to sustain that moisturization.

In a separate, four-week test involving consumers with oily or acne-prone skin, 73% of participants reported that their skin felt clean and 73% said their skin felt comfortable when using Pro Series. Additionally, the test found that the formulations do not clog pores or cause breakouts.

Pro Series products are available in SPF 15, 30 and 50+ versions, retailing for $10.99 apiece at food, drug and mass retailers.

The products all meet FDA’s standards for “broad spectrum” protection and are water-resistant for 80 minutes, the firm says.

Mission Skincare, which rebranded and is now Mission Athletecare, launched sunscreen aimed at the athlete market in 2008 (Also see "Athletes on a skin-care Mission" - HBW Insight, 1 Dec, 2008.).

Wet ‘N Clear For Convenience

In addition to the Pro Sport launch, Coppertone is introducing the Wet ‘n Clear line for summer, featuring a clear spray formula that “cut[s] through water to adhere to skin,” eliminating the need for towel-drying before application, Merck says.

“It’s all about convenience, especially for moms,” Bashoff said. “Your kid is wiggling and squirming and playing out in the sun – we don’t want to stop and towel-dry them, we just want to spray this right on.”

Testing on both adults and children at beaches and pools indicates the product does not turn white when applied to wet skin, helping to meet “a consumer need for non-whitening products,” Agin added.

The formula is also moisturizing, and produces “sheen” when applied to skin that water beads up on, she said.

With reapplication, skin can remain hydrated for up to eight hours, even if consumers are in and out of the water all day. “This really keeps you nice and smooth and moisturized,” according to the exec.

Wet ‘n Clear, in SPF 30, SPF 45+ and Kids SPF 45+, all offering water resistance for 80 minutes, will retail for $9.99.

Spray Safety Maintained

While FDA has questioned the safety of spray sunscreens, Merck is confident that such products are safe, Agin said.

Merck submitted research supporting its position to FDA last year, requesting that the agency allow spray sunscreens in the final monograph (Also see "Sunscreen Sprays’ Convenience Supports Monograph Approval – Merck" - HBW Insight, 14 Nov, 2011.).

The firm included information regarding particle size and inhalation, as well as basic safety testing data for its spray sunscreen products.

“We’re waiting to see their assessment, and we’re hoping they will find that sprays are not only a convenient but safe product form based on the data that’s been submitted,” she said.

Coppertone will introduce new packaging for all of its sun-care products through 2012 to comply with FDA’s new labeling requirements. Each product line will sport a “unified color scheme and will clearly communicate the product SPF, level of water resistance and broad-spectrum benefits,” the firm says.

According to the firm, the Coppertone logo will also be refreshed.