Investigation of pollen microgel and its viability as a sunscreen product

Abstract

As people begin to spend more time outside as we return to normalcy in the post-COVID-19 world, people are then exposed to an increasing duration to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. This increases the risk of contracting skin cancer and causes photoaging among affected individuals. As such, the need for compounds that can either absorb or reflect the ultraviolet rays have steadily increased. However, exposure to a combination of common organic UV filters such as oxybenzone and homosalate is worrying considering the lack of safety data for these compounds, which does not make the long-term use of chemical sunscreens viable. Therefore, there has been extensive research conducted on the possibility of having more natural ingredients being used as sunscreen. This project aims to compare the UV-shielding abilities of plant-based microgels and compare it to commercialised sunscreen gels that are already available in the market. The two plant-based microgels used in this project are camellia microgel and sunflower microgel. The microgels were produced following the formulations that have found success in Translational Materials Innovation Group, which would be further elaborated down the report. Plant-based microgels are being explored as a possible sunscreen product as they contain antioxidants that protects the cells against free radicals and polyphenols such as carotenoids and flavonoids.