| Created antibacterial and antitumor sunscreen |
Summer is approaching, when many families will go to the sea and take care of the choice of sunscreen to protect themselves from the cruel beach sun. However, most existing creams either do not protect well from dangerous UV rays or create an unpleasant texture on the skin, reminiscent of a mixture of sandpaper and an oil film.
Therefore, scientists from the Research Foundation of São Paulo (Brazil) have developed an environmentally friendly cream, which is based on the work of a natural molecule derived from sage and peppermint. The rosmarinic acid molecule, among other things, is a polyphenolic antioxidant, which means that in addition to protecting against the sun, it also has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antibiotic and antitumor properties.
Rosmarinic acid has long been known for its properties, but this is the first time it has been made into a sunscreen.
Of course, the main purpose of the resulting "green" cream is sun protection, and here the molecule guarantees a 41 percent SPF. In clinical trials, just one tenth of a percent of rosmarinic acid added to a solution significantly increased the sunscreen effectiveness of a cream. And this means that the new cream can be applied in a thin layer, without loading the skin with a thick oily film that stains all objects around.
This mixture can find its niche in anti-aging cosmetics due to its moisturizing properties. In addition, these factors make it possible to exclude synthetic chemicals from the cream, which can be harmful to the skin, as well as being washed into the water, which negatively affects the environment. After successful testing, the scientists decided to continue their experiments to map other photoprotective molecules in order to reduce the effects of harmful free radicals in the uppermost layers of the skin.