CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Synthetic organic components of commercial sunscreens for topical application are limited by their photostability and generation of photoinduced reactive species. Natural products are continuously explored as potential alternatives for optimizing the UV protection of the skin. Encapsulation or combination of these active ingredients with nanoparticles usually enhances their effectivity by increasing the absorption or scattering of the UV radiation, controlling the release properties, reducing toxicity, and/or improving the stability of the sunscreens.Recent studies on natural sunscreens introduced or associated to nanoscale systems such as liposomes, micelles and lipid nanoparticles are reviewed. Natural products evaluated include UV filters and antioxidants from the families of polyphenols, steroids, xanthines, carotenoids, tocopherols and mycosporine-like amino acids. Emphasis is given in the analysis of the nanomaterial designs in relation to the effects on the photochemical and photophysical behavior and bioavailability of the natural sunscreen agents.