Abstract

In view of the globally increasing incidence of skin cancer, sun exposure and the application of sunscreens are steadily gaining in importance. Today it is known that skin damage is caused not only by UV-induced erythema but also by increased amounts of free radicals that are formed by solar radiation in the visible and near infrared (NIR) spectral regions and sun protection could be different for the different skin types. The antioxidant capacity and the scattering properties of the formulation were determined as important protection beyond ultraviolet (UV) light. The radical protection in the visible and NIR regions was determined ex vivo using EPR spectroscopy. The cooling effect of the formulation was analyzed on Asian skin in vivo, and the NIR protection was investigated by measuring cutaneous carotenoids before and after NIR radiation. The company Pechoin was the first enterprise to develop a sunscreen for the skin types III – VI. This product protects efficiently both from UV and NIR solar radiation. Its formulation consists of a well-balanced selection of titanium dioxide pigments, highly efficient antioxidants as used in the traditional Chinese medicine, and coolants. Thanks to all these ingredients the concentration of radicals can be clearly reduced, especially in darker skin types.