A solid, twist-up sunscreen for faces, ears and noses, made without water and poured hot.
Firm glide leaving a dense, even layer; mineral sticks show as a visible film.
Face and nose stick, Kids' sun stick, Zinc sport stick, Tinted mineral stick
What it is
A sun stick holds UV filters in a waxy, waterless base set in a twist-up tube. It applies easily to small areas such as the face, ears and nose without messy hands, and tends to stay put during sport. Like other primary sunscreens, it is a therapeutic good in Australia.
An expiry date is required. Main risks are bloom, sweating, cracking, filter crystallisation and SPF drift.
Packaging
StickTin
In the lab
How it is made
01Melt the baseWaxes, butters and oils at 80–90 °C.
02Dissolve organic filtersInto the hot melt.
03Disperse mineral filtersHigh shear, then constant stirring to stop settling.
04Pour hotInto stick tubes from a stirred tank.
05Cool under controlThen check hardness, finish and weight.
hot fill · 80 °CPoured under TGA GMP from a stirred holding tank so minerals stay suspended from the first stick to the last.
Specifications
Batch sizes
50 L pilot1,000 L5,000 L production
Lab notes
Preservation
Usually not needed if anhydrous, but the product must still meet TGA microbial limits.
Stability testing
The TGA sunscreen stability program, plus heat cycling, break and bend tests, bloom and filter uniformity across the batch.
Regulatory, Australia
Primary sunscreens of SPF 4 and above are therapeutic goods: listed on the ARTG (AUST L), limited to permitted filters and claims, made under TGA GMP and tested to AS/NZS 2604:2021. SPF sticks sold only for the lips can remain cosmetics if they meet the excluded-goods conditions.
