KLEN Technology

KLĒN is the culmination of over 20 years of specialized research seeking to create a sunscreen that could be washed on and stay on the skin to protect it throughout the day. KLĒN utilizes Wash-On™ technology which fosters higher SPF by electrostatically attracting the encapsulated active ingredients to the skin, protectively covering it and allowing only minimal skin penetration. Essentially it creates a barrier between the skin and the sun's harmful UV radiation. In addition to making the sunscreen more effective, the technology also helps to lock in natural moisture. It leverages concepts based on Ceramic Chemistry (also known as Sol-Gel Chemistry): the same technology used in fiber optics and semiconductors.

This revolutionary delivery system works by three modes of action:

• Electrostatic Charge
• Polymer Matrix
• Particle Size and Molecular Weight Control

Electrostatic Charge

Silica shells (a.k.a encapsulates or vesicles) contain the active ingredient (sunscreen). Typically, active ingredients are negatively charged (anionic) or neutral (nonionic). Since the skin (and other substrates) are naturally anionic, or can have a negative charged induced, like or neutral materials do not readily adhere without the use of extraneous substances. The Aquea Delivery System, Wash-On™, takes these materials, encapsulates them, then incorporates them in an emulsion which causes the external shell to become positively charged. These cationic vesicles are now naturally attracted to the anionic skin.

Polymer Matrix

The active ingredients are further incorporated into a Polymer Matrix which creates a semi-occlusive barrier on skin. This facilitates the performance of KLĒN:

1. The polymer matrix serves as a strong proton donor, reinforcing the positive charge on the exterior of the silica shell.

2. It assures the active ingredients remain on the skin surface and helps the active ingredients adhere to the skin.

3. It helps to inhibit transepidermal water loss (TEWL) thereby increasing the moisturization to the skin. In the U.S., this is sufficient to substantiate the claim “helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”

Particle Size & Molecular Weight Control

The Wash-On™ technology is able to engineer the Particle Size of the encapsulates. By controlling the particle size and the molecular weight of the active ingredients contained in the silica capsule, it is possible to target the skin and ensure a proper attraction.

The current Wash-On™ system is not nanotechnology; it is microtechnology. The particles are typically >1µ and <5µ. This assures the vesicles do not penetrate deeply into skin, but stay on the surface – where you want the sunscreens to be. This system also permits the use of raw materials with a molecular weight >60,000 thereby assuring no significant skin penetration. It is one key to making KLĒN function as a strong barrier product, sunscreen.