Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Does anyone remember the fluro zinc from the 90s?

  • Does anyone remember the fluro zinc from the 90s?

    Posted by Sarah on January 15, 2015 at 2:56 pm

    Hi Everyone.

    Does anyone remember the fluro zinc cream from the 90s? The stuff mums would smear on their kid’s nose or what cricket players used? 
    Are there any products still on the market like this? I have trawled google but  not had much luck except for an obscure listing on amazon with no product information. Innovadex and the like have also been lacking. 
    I am wanting to replicate this type of product but for dogs. 
    Since I was a kid in the 90s I only have vague memories of it being thick and a bit sticky - not really the most scientific starting point for a formulation.
    Would it have been an anhydrous balm with high ZnO content or more of an ointment? 
    Any thoughts or clues would be greatly appreciated.
    Sarah
    Sarah replied 9 years, 2 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • bill_toge

    Member
    January 16, 2015 at 5:40 am

    can’t comment on that particular product, but at my last place we used to make an anhydrous zinc and castor cream that sounds very similar to it

    if memory serves, it was about 15% zinc oxide (pigment grade), 5% castor oil, 4% lanolin, and petrolatum to 100%; I remember it was a hot-fill product, and an absolute pig to clean out 

    it was intended to be used a barrier cream for babies’ bottoms, so its SPF was never tested
  • bobzchemist

    Member
    January 16, 2015 at 11:33 am

    Personally, I’d mix a non-nano zinc oxide dispersion with petrolatum and call it good. I’d be afraid of using anything else in the formulation that the dog could lick off.

  • Sarah

    Member
    January 18, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    Thanks for the advice guys - the licking factor is something I keep in the forefront of my mind. I have a paw balm which is becoming a wee bit of a cult item - and I made sure that everything in that formulation was safe to eat. (Not that I could imagine any dog or human wanting to chow down on lanolin or mango butter).

    I am going to have to be very careful when I market the product because I do not want to make any explicit SPF claims. Do you think that I could get away with using terminology like UV filter? 
  • bobzchemist

    Member
    January 19, 2015 at 9:52 am

    NO!

  • Sarah

    Member
    January 19, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    Good to know! At my day job (at which I only have 8 days remaining - it is a dodgy outfit so I am moving on) they use the term uv filter in a cream with only SPF1.2 i.e. diddly squat. 

    I will do a bit more brainstorming and market research re  terminology. The products are only sold in New Zealand with plans to expand into Australia so I do not have to deal with the FDA thank goodness. 

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