The final sunscreen is also bolstered with centella asiatica, which you might know as cica or tiger grass, to help calm sensitive skin, as well as ceramides, “to replenish the ceramides that we lose, like when we wash our face, to strengthen the skin barrier even more,” says Dr. Arvanitidou. Lam adds that the ceramides and other emollients also “create a nice skin feel that is unlike more common mineral sunscreens.”
A clinical study was conducted on 45 female patients with a variety of skin tones—all with self-perceived sensitive skin—who used the untinted version of EltaMD UV Skin Recovery for 12 weeks. Results showed that it strengthened the skin barrier by 10%, reduced facial dryness by 72%, improved skin texture by 50%, and improved skin tone by 33%. Facial redness reduced by 14% with one application, and 52% after 12 weeks of daily use. All of this testing makes it a clear standout from other mineral sunscreens—untinted or tinted (most of which are taupe, at least one other is green). After reviewing the data, Dr. Geraghty says, “I consider this a welcome breakthrough because of its gentle and effective formula that helps calm red or inflamed skin and helps restore the skin barrier, while protecting it from ultraviolet damage. It helps protect skin from sunburn while gently calming, soothing, and masking reddish, ruddy, or rosacea-prone skin. I’m a fan!”
The green-tinted version was born from a conversation with a dermatologist who mentioned needing skin care for patients following non-ablative laser treatments. “We were sitting in a coffee shop and writing this up on a napkin,” says Echo Sandburg, chief brand officer of Colgate-Palmolive Skin Health, who was jotting notes. “Green is opposite red in the color wheel,” says Dr. Arvanitidou. “So if we want to address redness, green can correct it.”
The possibility of a product that checked multiple boxes for post-laser patients—helping to repair the skin, hide and treat redness, and offer the sun protection they need—was an intriguing one. “Can you have a lunchtime procedure and have an option that can protect your skin with immediate color correction and long-term strengthening and repair of the skin barrier?” says Sandburg.
Finding the right green brought its own challenges as the team had to find a color that would not only neutralize redness, but also work on all skin tones—even people who didn’t have flushing or redness, blending into the skin without leaving Elphaba-like traces behind. “I still remember when they brought me prototypes and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! Am I going to look like Fiona [from Shrek]?’” says Dr. Arvanitidou. She was surprised, however, to learn that the green was fairly easy to work with, especially for darker skin tones. It was a more seamless match than trying to add a beige tint as other mineral sunscreens often have. But you can’t just put on sunscreen, say “the green went away,” and forget about it. You have to reapply it every two hours. So the real trick was creating a hue with blendability that people were willing to reapply. Getting the final minty shade, one that worked well on all Fitzpatrick skin tones, took more than 20 variations.
