All of the ingredients that Merck develops for children’s cosmetics are also used for cosmetic products for adults, of course. After all, ingredients that are suited for babies also must be good for the lips, shoulders, and noses of parents. The company supplies cosmetic manufacturers with a variety of high quality ingredients, ranging from sparkling and color pigments to UV filters and insect repellants. RonaCare® Ectoin, for example, is an all-new ingredient that’s also contained in products for children. The ingredient is found in skincare products that protect the skin’s immune system from damage caused by the sun’s rays. It also protects against the effects of pollution and stress, and serves as a moisture reservoir to prevent dehydration. Another ingredient is RonaCare® AP, which is very effective for neutralizing free radicals before they can damage young skin cells. The protection provided by this antioxidant is in demand particularly outdoors, because large amounts of free radicals are produced especially in sunlight. That’s why sunscreens for children contain this substance, as do day creams for grown ups.

Sunscreens that contain mineral or inorganic filters are strongly recommended for children under age three. Such filters protect the skin like a shield or an additional layer of clothing. They are very gentle on children’s skin, which is still developing, while also being highly effective at blocking damaging UV rays. The Eusolex® T product series includes a broad range of such inorganic filters. Because the “shields” are located on the surface of the skin, they are most effective when used as UV filters. They function in the same way as organic filters, by absorbing harmful rays and converting them into harmless warmth. In the case of Eusolex® UV-Pearls™, the organic filters are even contained in capsules. These capsules are also located on the surface of the skin and the filters themselves don’t come into contact with children’s sensitive skin. Kids like the new “pearly” lotions because the naturally oily UV filters are enclosed in soft, tiny glass capsules that make the lotion less sticky than conventional sunscreens.

A sunscreen’s effectiveness at protecting against UV-B rays is indicated on the bottle by the sun protection factor (SPF), a numerical value indicating how much longer the person is protected against UV-B radiation than if he or she had no protection (SPF 30 = 30 times longer than without protection). The SPF therefore refers only to the effectiveness of the UV-B filter.

“It’s important for sunscreens to be able to protect against UV-A as well as against UV-B radiation, however,” says Garcia Bartels. “But most people don’t know that the sun protection factor only refers to the UV-B filter.” That’s why she advises consumers to also take this factor into account. “The UV-A factor should equal one-third of the sun protection factor,” Garcia Bartels says. A sunscreen meets this condition if the UV-A symbol is displayed on the bottle.

The skin of both children and adults benefits every time it is cared for. And this applies to the soul as well, which is also soothed every time the skin is touched. And if the skin is protected and cared for from childhood on, it will continue to be a delight into old age.