YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, YALE UNIVERSITY IN CONNECTICUT, USA. A new sunblock made from bioadhesive nanoparticles that stays on the skin’s surface was developed to eliminate possible health concerns associated with commercial sunscreens.
Professor Mark Saltzman and his team wanted to develop a sunblock that won’t go deep into the skin and enter the bloodstream. Commercial sunblocks penetrate the skin and can cause hormonal side effects and even promote the type of skin cancer that they are made to prevent in the first place.
Co-author Michael Girardi, a professor of Dermatology at Yale Medical School, said that commercial chemical sunscreen protects the skin from direct hazards of ultraviolet damage of DNA but not against the indirect ones. As a matter of fact, the indirect damage was worse when we utilized the commercial sunscreen.
Prior researches found traces of chemicals from commercial sunscreen in user’s urine, breast milk and bloodstreams. Also, there is evidence that these chemicals can cause disruption in the endocrine system, like that of blocking sex hormone receptors.
The researchers developed a nanoparticle with a surface coating, rich in aldehyde groups that sticks firmly to the outer skin layer. The hydrophilic layer of the nanoparticle locks in the active ingredient called padimate O which is a hydrophobic chemical. For aesthetic purposes, the team used a nanoparticle to encase padimate O which made the team’s sunblock transparent and out of the bloodstream and the skin cells completely.
The team conducted penetration level tests on both sunscreens by applying strips of adhesive tape to the skin that was previously treated with sunscreen. The tape was rapidly removed together with a thin layer of the skin. By repeating the procedure, the team was able to remove the majority of the skin’s outer layer and was able to measure how deep the chemicals penetrated the skin.
The test revealed that the chemicals from commercial sunscreen soaked deep within the skin while the new sunscreen remained on the skin’s surface for several days even after exposure to water. The new sunblock was completely removed when repeatedly wiped with a towel.
This new innovation can save a lot of people from acquiring serious health issues involving the use of commercial sunscreens.
| Invention | A Sunblock that Doesn’t Go Deep into the Skin |
|---|---|
| Organization | Yale University |
| Researcher | Professor Mark Saltzman & Team |
| Field(s) | Nanotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Bioadhesive Nanoparticles, Dermatology |
| Further Information | http://phys.org/news/2015-09-sunblock-doesnt-penetrate-skin.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu |
Image courtesy of pixabay.com
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