Photoprotection compositions having reduced dermal irritation

A sunscreen composition substantially for daily use comprising:

• (A) from about 0.1% to about 20.0% of a sunscreen compound selected from the group consisting of 4-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoic acid 4-ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzophenone;
• 4-methoxycinnamic acid 4-ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-benzophenone;
• 4-(2-methylpropoxy)cinnamic acid 4-ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzophenone;
• 4-N-decylaminobenzoic acid 4-ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzophenone;
• 4-N,N-butylmethylaminobenzoic acid 4-ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzophenone;
• 4-N,N-(2-ethylhexyl)methylaminobenzoic acid 4-ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzophenone;
• 4-N,N-butylmethylaminobenzoic acid ester of 4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)dibenzoylmethane;
• 4-N,N-(2-ethylhexyl)methylaminobenzoic acid ester of 4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)dibenzoylmethane;
• N,N-di-(2-ethyl-hexyl)-4-aminobenzoic acid ester of 2-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxy-ethoxy)benzophenone;
• and N,N-di-(2-ethylhexyl)-4-aminobenzoic acid ester of 4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)dibenzoylmethane;
• (B) from about 0.025% to about 0.75% of a carboxylic copolymer comprising polymers of a monomeric mixture containing 95.9 to 98.8 weight percent of an olefinically unsaturated carboxylic monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic, methacrylic and ethacrylic acids, about 1 to about 3.5 weight percent of an acrylate ester of the formula ##STR13## wherein R is an alkyl radical containing 10 to 30 carbon atoms and R.sub.1 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, and 0.1 to 0.6 weight percent of a polymerizable cross-linking polyalkenyl polyether of a polyhydric alcohol containing more than one alkenyl ether group per molecule wherein the parent polyhydric alcohol contains at least 3 carbon atoms and at least 3 hydroxyl groups;
• and
• (C) from about 0.1% to about 99.8% of a pharmaceutically-acceptable sunscreen carrier.