Meet ASPA-Fernblock®: The New Generation of Photoprotection
Meet ASPA-Fernblock®: The New Generation of Photoprotection
Sun protection is evolving beyond simply blocking UV rays.
Introducing ASPA-Fernblock®, Cantabria Labs’ new patented photoprotection technology that combines the well-established Fernblock® extract from Polypodium leucotomos with extracts from Aspalathus linearis.
Together, these two botanicals work synergistically to take photoprotection one step further, helping to enhance sunscreen performance while supporting the skin’s natural biological defences.
Two Plants. One Advanced Technology.
ASPA-Fernblock® combines:
🌿 Polypodium leucotomos — the tropical fern behind Heliocare’s well-established Fernblock® technology.
🌿 Aspalathus linearis — a South African plant rich in polyphenols with antioxidant properties.
The fermented and unfermented extracts of Aspalathus linearis provide complementary antioxidant and photoprotective activity. Combined with Fernblock®, they form the new ASPA-Fernblock® technology.
But what does this mean for your sunscreen?
1. Boosts SPF & UVA Protection
SPF isn’t only about the UV filters inside your sunscreen. How those filters work together with the rest of the formula also matters.
When incorporated into sunscreen formulations, ASPA-Fernblock® helps enhance both SPF and UVA-PF, strengthening protection against both UVB and UVA radiation.
Think of it as giving your sunscreen filters an extra boost.
More support for the filters. More comprehensive photoprotection.
2. Helps Sun Filters Stay Effective for Longer
Sunlight doesn’t just affect your skin, it can also affect the UV filters protecting it.
With continued UV exposure, some sunscreen filters can gradually lose stability. This is known as photodegradation.
ASPA-Fernblock® have been shown to improve the photostability of sunscreen filters, helping preserve SPF and UVA-PF performance during prolonged UV exposure.
Simply put:
It helps your sunscreen protection stay more stable when exposed to the sun.
This doesn’t mean you can skip reapplication, though. Sunscreen should still be reapplied regularly, especially after swimming, sweating or towel drying.
3. Helps Preserve Vitamin D Receptor Function
Here’s where ASPA-Fernblock® gets particularly interesting.
Vitamin D needs a Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) to carry out its biological functions in the skin.
However, oxidative stress can reduce VDR levels, meaning that having vitamin D alone is only part of the picture.
Research on ASPA-Fernblock® found that it helped prevent the oxidative stress-induced reduction of VDR levels, helping preserve the receptors needed for normal Vitamin D signalling.
An easy way to think about it:
Vitamin D is the key. VDR is the lock.
For Vitamin D to do its job, the receptor needs to be there too.
More Than Just SPF
Modern photoprotection isn’t only about achieving a high SPF number.
ASPA-Fernblock® introduces a broader approach by combining advanced sunscreen performance with biological photoprotection.
