The Next Generation of SPF Has Arrived—And It’s Encapsulated

Encapsulation has been a quiet revolution in skincare for years. The method involves wrapping active ingredients in microscopic protective shells, such as liposomes or microspheres, to keep them stable, boost their penetration into the skin, and release them in a controlled way over time. The technique allows potent actives like retinoids to be delivered more effectively and with fewer side effects, even on sensitive skin.

Now, formulators are applying the technique to SPF, marking a new step towards smarter, more sophisticated sunscreens. “Encapsulation is used to improve both performance and skin feel,” explains Catarina Oliveira, co-founder of Herbar. “Zinc oxide doesn’t feel great on the skin—it can be chalky, hard to spread, and leave a white cast. By coating the mineral filters with jojoba esters, which is a skin-friendly lipid, we were able to achieve better dispersion and stability in the formula, reduced white cast and smoother application, and improved compatibility with the skin barrier since jojoba esters mimic natural sebum.”

Formulating with coated filters isn’t simple. Oliveira notes it took more than 70 iterations to create the fluid, serum-like texture of The Sun Shield that blended encapsulated mineral filters with antioxidants such as Ectoin and CoQ10 without clumping or instability. The result is broad-spectrum protection that feels light and invisible on skin.

Still, encapsulated SPF doesn’t remove the need to reapply. “It makes the SPF layer more uniform and resistant to breaking down, but sweat, sebum and UV exposure still degrade protection over time,” Oliveira explains. The real advantage is compliance—when sunscreens feel great to wear, people are more likely to apply enough and reapply throughout the day as recommended.

Klira is another one of the brands leaning into the shift towards encapsulated SPF. Its latest launch, DayScript, is a “7-in-1 targeted daily skincare product” that merges SPF50 PA++++ protection with antioxidants, peptides, hydrators and barrier-strengthening actives. Thanks to encapsulation, the UV filters remain stable alongside such a complex blend, making it possible to collapse what used to be a multi-step morning routine into a single product.

“Encapsulation is what enabled us to bring so many different actives together without destabilising the sunscreen,” says Sophie Kerbegian, co-founder of Klira. “It keeps the filters protected, the film uniform and the whole formula consistent throughout the day.”

Independent clinical and photo-testing confirmed DayScript’s protective film held intact for up to eight hours, with every batch produced under strict lab regulation. For Klira’s founder and consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne, the value is in aligning with the skin’s natural rhythms: “Your skin behaves differently by day and night—its cellular priorities change with the clock. The DayScript is precision-engineered to deliver what skin needs in the morning, in one intelligent step.”

Encapsulation, then, isn’t just a scientific flourish. It’s making mineral sunscreens lighter, more wearable and more stable—enabling products like DayScript and The Sun Shield to combine protection, treatment and texture in ways that would have been impossible a decade ago. In other words? This is SPF, evolved.