Photoprotection compositions

Claim 1

An oil-in-water sunscreen emulsion composition having improved efficiency for topical use and which provides an SPF of at least 8 comprising: (a) from about 1% to about 20% of a sunscreen component consisting essentially of: i) from about 1% to about 100% of octocrylene; ii) from 0% to about 80% of ethylhexyl-p-methoxy cinnamate; and iii) from 0% to about 80% titanium dioxide; (b) from about 0.025% to about 2.0% of a carboxylic copolymer comprising polymers of a monomeric mixture selected from the group consisting of acrylic, methacrylic and ethacrylic acids, about 1 to about 3.5 weight percent of an acryl ate ester of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl radical containing 10 to 30 carbon atoms and R 1 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, and 0.1 to 0.6 weight percent of a polymerizable cross-linking polyalkenyl polyether of a polyhydric alcohol containing more than one alkenyl ether group per molecule wherein the parent polyhydric alcohol contains at least 3 carbon atoms and at least 3 hydroxyl groups; (c) from about 0.1% to about 5.0% of a film-forming copolymer of the formula: ##STR7## where R is a C 12 -C 30 straight alkyl chain and wherein the ratio of x to y is from about 1:5 to 5:1; (d) from about 0.1% to about 10% of a wax component having a required HLB of from about 1 to about 8 and a melting point greater than about 50° C. wherein said wax component is selected from the group consisting of ester waxes, hydrocarbon waxes, diester waxes, silicone waxes, triglyceride waxes, and mixtures thereof; and (e) a safe and effective amount of a pharmaceutically-acceptable sunscreen carrier; wherein said sunscreen emulsion, when diluted as a 3.33% (w/w) aqueous solution, has a surface tension greater than about 30 dynes/cm.