Research published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science assessed the photoprotection provided by organic sunscreens incorporating antioxidants against the combined effects of visible light (VL) and UVA1. These results were compared with those of a commercially available tinted sunscreen.
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Ten adult subjects were treated with the antioxidant test sunscreen and commercial tinted sunscreen. Measurements were made at baseline, immediately after irradiation, after 24 hr, and after 7 days.
Sites treated with the commercial sunscreen showed significantly less skin pigmentation than untreated sites at all time points. However, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy demonstrated the antioxidant-enriched sunscreen performed comparably or better than all sunscreens tested, with relatively lower dyschromia, delayed erythema and pigmentation.
According to the authors, the results highlight the potential of antioxidant-enriched sunscreens to provide photoprotection against VL+UVA1—a part of the spectrum with limited options for protection.
