It’s Time for a Merchandising Paradigm Shift
For decades, independent pharmacies built their reputation on personal service, clinical excellence, and accessibility. Those strengths remain vital. But the retail landscape has changed dramatically,
For years, dermatologists have relied on the Fitzpatrick skin type scale to understand how different people respond to sun exposure. The scale—ranging from very fair to very dark skin—helps clinicians assess how likely someone is to burn, tan, or develop sun-related skin conditions. It has shaped how we talk about sun risk, skin health, and prevention.
But while the Fitzpatrick scale plays an important role in clinical care, it has had surprisingly little influence on how sunscreens are made.
This gap isn’t about a lack of concern for inclusive sun protection. Instead, it reflects a disconnect between how dermatologists see skin in the real world and how sunscreens have traditionally been designed in the lab.
Two Perspectives, One Missed Opportunity
In medical practice, dermatologists know that sun damage doesn’t look the same on everyone. Some people experience immediate redness and burning. Others develop pigmentation changes, uneven tone, premature aging, or skin cancers that can be harder to detect. These differences occur across all skin tones—and they don’t always show up as sunburn.
As a result, many dermatologists have questioned whether sunscreens—long focused on preventing burns—are fully addressing the broader, long-term effects of sun exposure.
On the formulation side, sunscreen scientists have historically approached sun protection through physics and chemistry. UV radiation behaves the same way regardless of skin color, and regulatory standards reflect that reality. SPF and UVA ratings are designed to be universal, measuring how well a product blocks or absorbs radiation, not how a particular person’s skin responds to it.
This approach has produced safe, effective sunscreens for millions of people. But it has also led to a largely “one-size-fits-most” model—one that doesn’t fully account for differences in biology, lifestyle, or cumulative skin stress.
Why Skin Health Is More Than UV Alone
Today, science is showing us that sun damage is more complex than once believed. Visible light, oxidative stress, inflammation, and long-term biological responses all play a role in how skin ages and repairs itself. These processes can vary widely between individuals and may affect different skin tones in different ways.
The Fitzpatrick scale, while useful, is a blunt tool. And traditional sunscreen metrics, while important, don’t tell the whole story.
A New Way Forward
Recognizing these limitations, Columbia SkinCare began exploring new ways to think about sun protection as early as 2016. Our goal has never been to discard established dermatology—but to build on it.
We believe the next generation of sun protection must bridge clinical insight with modern formulation science. That means focusing less on labels and categories, and more on objective, biologically meaningful ways to protect skin from the full spectrum of environmental stress.
Over the past several years, this work has led us beyond incremental SPF improvements and toward a broader understanding of how skin responds to sun exposure over time. Our research has now reached a level of maturity that supports formal intellectual property development, with provisional patents anticipated soon.
Looking Ahead
The future of sun protection isn’t about redefining skin types—it’s about redefining protection itself.
By aligning real-world dermatology with rigorous scientific formulation, we believe it’s possible to create solutions that are not only more inclusive, but more effective for everyone. This evolving approach reflects our long-standing commitment at Columbia SkinCare: advancing skin health through science, experience, and a deeper understanding of how skin truly works.
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