Kolmar Korea expands its advanced cooling sun care range
The sun care industry is undergoing a profound shift marked in recent years by the transition of sunscreen from an occasional beach-day product to a daily essential.
SOUTH KOREA – Kolmar Korea is rolling out a new generation of sun care technologies that pair high-performance UV protection with measurable cooling effects, responding to surging global demand for “cooling cosmetics” amid record-breaking heatwaves.
The company’s innovations focus on non-menthol, botanical-based cooling actives and advanced formulation architectures that deliver immediate temperature reduction while preserving sunscreen film integrity.
Traditional cooling cosmetics typically rely on either volatile ingredients that lower skin temperature through evaporation or menthol-based actives that activate the skin’s cold-sensing receptor TRPM8 to produce a cooling sensation.
Beyond its cooling effect, Kolmar Korea’s botanical ingredient is described as offering soothing and elasticity-boosting benefits while aiding the recovery of UV-damaged skin, making it suitable for a wide array of skin care and sun care applications.
Using this technology, the company has launched a “Cooling Sun Essence” formulated to counter both heat-induced ageing and photoaging.
Kolmar Korea is also advancing cooling systems that depend on internal water particles instead of chemical cooling agents, exemplified by its proprietary “water-drop” technology in which the particle structure breaks down on contact with the skin and releases moisture as microdroplets.
Many conventional water-drop sunscreens have struggled with structural stability, as ingredients can separate over time and microscopic cracks can develop in the UV-protective film, significantly weakening sunscreen performance.
To solve this, Kolmar Korea has created a formulation based on a clay-like material made of thin, interlocking layers whose particles are designed to collapse and release moisture only when friction is applied during application, enabling the UV-protective film to spread evenly across the skin.
According to the company, this system lowers skin temperature by about 4°C upon application and suppresses roughly 90% of subsequent heat-driven temperature increases.
In sun care stick formats, Kolmar Korea says it has overcome traditional limitations by markedly increasing water content to maximize the cooling effect.
A flagship innovation is its Jelly Sun Stick, developed with a naturally derived seaweed ingredient; unlike conventional stick cosmetics, it features a water-based surface layer that instantly refreshes and cools the skin on contact.
By minimizing oil content, the formula achieves a resilient, jelly-like elasticity while retaining the structural stability needed for a solid stick.
Products with this water-technology layer are reported to deliver strong UV protection while reducing skin temperature by about 6°C immediately after application.
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