SBIR Phase II: Final Ink and Stamp Development and Safety Testing For the SPF Indicator Stamp

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to help reduce sunburn (a primary risk factor for melanoma), skin cancer, and photoaging rates by helping people to apply and reapply adequate amounts of sunscreen. Sunburns, 93% of skin cancer, and up to 90% of the age-related changes to skin are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Skin cancer is more commonly diagnosed than all other forms of cancer combined in the U.S. with estimated annual treatment costs of $8.1 billion. Sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug that can prevent the damaging effects of UVR, yet multiple studies show that sunscreen users only apply about a third of the recommended amount of sunscreen and do not reapply often enough. The recreational (beach and body) sunscreen market is $2.5 billion in the U.S. ($11 billion globally) and growing at an annual rate of 7%. By helping people apply and reapply the correct amount of sunscreen at the right time, this project will help prevent sunburns, skin cancer, and photoaging.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will result in the first accurate, affordable, and convenient sunscreen effectiveness indicator. Though other photochromic (UV-sensitive and color-changing) sunscreen effectiveness indicators exist in the marketplace, they are inaccurate (temperature and UVA1 sensitivities cause reporting errors), expensive ($0.60 per use) and inconvenient (stickers and wristband formats) which largely account for their lack of market adoption. This project will result in the first stamp-on-skin photochromic sunscreen effectiveness indicator in two formats: a stand-alone stamp that will work with any sunscreen and a stamp-in-cap format that is built into the sunscreen’s cap. It will also result in two different photochromic ink formulations (one for use with sunscreen lotions and another for sunscreen sprays) which will be stamped onto user’s skin and accurately report—at-a-glance and in real-time the degree of users’ sun protection so they can apply and reapply the right amount of sunscreen at the right time. A single stamp will last an entire day in wet or dry conditions and withstand multiple color-fade and sunscreen reapplication cycles.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.