Sun Protection and its Effects

Importance of SPF: The natural way

The sun is an essential component of day to day life because we need it for important bodily functions. However, it also emits harmful rays and due to the hole in the ozone layer these harmful rays are affecting humans, which dictates that proper protection from these UV rays are needed. Artificial sunscreens are the most popular option for protecting against sunburns, photoaging and photocarcinogenesis. Although these products get the job done, it is not the most environmentally friendly option. There are raised concerns about the photostability, toxicity and damage to marine ecosystems with these artificial products. The alternative option is to use natural UV blocking entities, instead of creating artificial protection in labs. Natural antioxidants have been found to exhibit the characteristics needed for successful sun protection, therefore making the agents useful. The exact mechanism of how the natural antioxidants work is still unclear, but recent studies found that the “conjugated π system has been reported to play an important role in protecting the vital genetic material within organisms.” According to studies, “natural sunscreens with strong UV absorption capacities are largely limited by low specific extermination values and their inability to be spread in large-scale sunscreen cosmetic applications.” As beneficial as it would be to replace all artificial sunscreen with natural products, there are concerns about how available the agents are. Some examples of natural UV blocking agents consist of lignin, silymarin and marine antioxidant algal extracts, along with a variety of others.

Lignin is an UV-blocking natural agent with antioxidant properties. The properties stem from lignin’s ability to capture free radicals and when the 5% lignin particles were mixed, there was potential for a broad photoprotective effect. There was also concern with the “photo-thermal stability and potential health-threatening effects, attributed to the easy penetration of UV through the dermis and stratum corneum into the blood” which led to the creation of polydopamine-grafted lignin, or AL-PDA. After research was done using these nanocapsules, it was found that the “AL-PDA nanocapsules showed strong bioadhesion abilities, reaching 87 % on the skin surface, negligible penetration, suitable water-penetration resistance and excellent antioxidant properties.” Silymarin is also known for its antioxidant properties, and has shown excellent results when used for topical photoprotection. Further studies revealed that when silymarin was mixed into a sunscreen cream, stability was observed under the tested conditions. The results indicated that “ silymarin and its flavonolignans are useful agents that may protect the skin against the adverse impacts of solar radiation.” Marine antioxidants, specifically the “algal extracts from two reddish algae (Gracilariopsis longissimi and Hydropuntia cornea)” displayed the photoprotective and antioxidant properties that were desired. During further research, it was found that there were similar characteristics between the algal extracts and a melanin precursor. The pigment was then studied and discovered to have an SPF value of 9.9. The algal extracts were similar enough to the pigment and after more research, it was found to have adequate antioxidant properties, proper UVB protective properties and a significant amount of SPF, upon analysis. 

Resources:

Hailun, He, et al. “Natural Components in Sunscreens: Topical Formulations with Sun Protection Factor (SPF).” Shibboleth Authentication Request, Cosmetics Safety and Efficacy Evaluation Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Feb. 2021, www-sciencedirect-com.jerome.stjohns.edu/science/article/pii/S0753332220313548?via%3Dihub. 

Morocho-Jácome, Ana Lucía, and Thamires Batello Freire . “In Vivo SPF from Multifunctional Sunscreen Systems Developed with Natural Compounds-A Review.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, J Cosmet Dermatol, Mar. 2021, pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.jerome.stjohns.edu/32649016/.