Johnson and Johnson 2006 Annual Report Download - page 10

J O H N S O N & J O H N S O N 2 0 0 6 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Dermatologists are calling it one of the biggest
sun-protection innovations in the last
20
years
—a paradigm-transforming technology that
provides stable, broad protection against the
dangerous UVA rays that penetrate deeply into
skin layers, reducing collagen and elastin.
UVA rays have been clinically implicated in sun-
induced aging of the skin as well as skin cancer.
“Incidental exposure to sun is cumulative,”
explains Curtis Cole, a Ph.D. photobiologist
and Senior Director of Skin Care Technology
at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products
Company Division of Johnson & Johnson
Consumer Companies, Inc. in Skillman, N.J.
“At any time, a single tiny photon of sunlight on unprotected
skin could become the tipping point for cancer.”
Evidence of UVA damage—which can include wrinkling,
sagging and mottling—may not reveal itself until years after
unprotected skin has been exposed to the sun. In contrast,
UVB rays—which attack the skin’s uppermost layers—
can cause sunburn in a matter of minutes.
TEN YEARS OF RESEARCH
It took
10
years of research and
development work for Dr. Cole and his West Coast partner—
Rick Woodin, a photochemist and Director of Product
Development at Neutrogena Corporation—to crack the UVA
protection code, then to help franchise-level marketers
develop a portfolio of skin care products with unparalleled sun
protection under the
NEUTROGENA
®
and
AVEENO
®
trademarks.
Recalls Dr. Cole: “In the mid-’
80
s, the American Academy of
Dermatology launched an intensive public-education program
about skin cancer. It raised consciousness around the world
about the link to sun exposure and the conse-
quent need for protection. Manufacturers
of skin care products began adding new sun
protection into a remarkably wide range of
skin care products. Before long, the ‘SPF’—
or sun protection factor—became a price of
market entry, not just an added benefi t, for
every new skin care product.”
But consumers were getting a false sense
of security from high SPF numbers in their
sunscreen products, even those containing the
UVA fi lter avobenzone: “On its own, avoben-
zone—the most eff ective broad-spectrum fi lter
blocking UVA rays—breaks apart at the molec-
ular level after it absorbs energy from sunlight. As early as
1987
,
my lab team and I tried to photo-stabilize avobenzone by adding
another chemical. After many years of eff ort, we found that a
chemical called DEHN would help stabilize avobenzone, but
only to
40
percent—and we wanted a higher level of stability.”
THE SOLUTION ARRIVES
“When we added a third ingredient—
oxybenzone—we saw an interesting chemical mechanism
of action: DEHN accepts the excess energy absorbed by
avobenzone, then transfers it to oxybenzone, which converts
the UV light to harmless red light without sacrifi cing
avobenzone’s ability to absorb incoming photons.
“This was what we had been seeking for years,” adds Cole.
“Finally, we had a remarkably long-lasting sunscreen
that would not break down in sunlight and would block the
most harmful rays. As a fi nal touch, we added some conven-
tional UVB fi lters to fortify the SPF to provide people true
broad-spectrum protection.”
O U R P A S S I O N T R A N S F O R M S :
Fun in the Sun
M
any years of bicoastal cooperation between two skin care scientists,
working in two diff erent Johnson & Johnson companies, have resulted in a
remarkable sun-protection breakthrough: a patented advanced sunscreen
system with stronger, more eff ective and longer-lasting protection against the most
dangerous kind of damage the sun’s rays can infl ict on human skin.
O U R S T O R I E S
Behind every new product that our family of companies introduces—behind every one of
our partnerships to advance the health and well-being of people around the world—
stands a team of people, their passion and a story. The stories behind our 2006 accomplishments reveal
much about the character of our people and the aims of our company. As you read these stories,
we hope you’ll see how our strategic principles play out in reality—how they liberate our people to
pursue a consumer research insight, solve a scientifi c puzzle, pursue a big, bold vision and collaborate
with colleagues half a world away to make a real diff erence in people’s lives.
8
B I C O A S TA L T E A M W O R K
Curtis Cole, Ph.D. (left),
and Rick Woodin have
collaborated for 10 years.