Topical skin product that helps protect against sunburn
"Sunblock" redirects here. For the electronic music group, see Sunblock (band). For the Ball Park Music song, see Sunscreen (song).
Not to be confused with indoor tanning lotion, the suntan lotion which intensifies sun exposure.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen on back under normal and UV light
Other names
Sun screen, sunblock, sunburn cream, sun cream, block out[1]
[edit on Wikidata]
Sunscreen, also known as sunblock[a] or sun cream, is a photoprotective topical product for the skin that helps protect against sunburn and prevent skin cancer. Sunscreens come as lotions, sprays, gels, foams (such as an expanded foam lotion or whipped lotion[4]), sticks, powders and other topical products. Sunscreens are common supplements to clothing, particularly sunglasses, sunhats and special sun protective clothing, and other forms of photoprotection (such as umbrellas).
Sunscreens may be classified according to the type of active ingredient(s) present in the formulation (inorganic compounds or organic molecules) as:
Mineral sunscreens (also referred to as physical), which use only inorganic compounds (zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide) as active ingredients. These ingredients primarily work by absorbing UV rays but also through reflection and refraction.[5][6]
Chemical sunscreens, which use organic molecules as active ingredients. These products are sometimes referred to as petrochemical sunscreens since the active organic molecules are synthesized starting from building blocks typically derived from petroleum.[7] Chemical sunscreen ingredients also mainly work by absorbing the UV rays.[8] Over the years, some organic UV absorbers have been heavily scrutinised to assess their toxicity[9] and a few of them have been banned in places such as Hawaii[10] and Thailand[11] for their impact on aquatic life and the environment.
Hybrid sunscreens, which contain a combination of organic and inorganic UV filters.
Medical organizations such as the American Cancer Society recommend the use of sunscreen because it aids in the prevention of squamous cell carcinomas.[12] The routine use of sunscreens may also reduce the risk of melanoma.[13] To effectively protect against all the potential damages of UV light, the use of broad-spectrum sunscreens (covering both UVA and UVB radiation) has been recommended.[3]
As of 2021, only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),[14] as currently there is insufficient data to support recognizing petrochemical UV filters as safe.
^"Preventing melanoma". Cancer Research UK. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
^ abCite error: The named reference fda2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"WHIPPED FORMULATIONS WITH DESIRED SENSORY IMPACT". Canada Patent Data Base. July 8, 2022. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
^Cole, Curtis; Shyr, Thomas; Ou-Yang, Hao (October 2, 2015). "Metal oxide sunscreens protect skin by absorption, not by reflection or scattering". Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine. 32 (1): 5–10. doi:10.1111/phpp.12214. ISSN 0905-4383. PMID 26431814. S2CID 20695063.
^Schneider, Samantha L.; Lim, Henry W. (November 16, 2018). "A review of inorganic UV filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide". Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine. 35 (6): 442–446. doi:10.1111/phpp.12439. ISSN 0905-4383. PMID 30444533. S2CID 53562460.
^Dinardo J, Downs C (April 2021). "Failure to Protect: Do Sunscreens Prevent Skin Cancer in Humans?". ResearchGate.
^Ko SA (September 2016). ""Physical" vs. "chemical" sunscreens and other sunscreen myths". KindofStephen. Archived from the original on January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
^Tian L, Huang L, Cui H, Yang F, Li Y (October 2021). "The toxicological impact of the sunscreen active ingredient octinoxate on the photosynthesis activity of Chlorella sp". Marine Environmental Research. 171: 105469. Bibcode:2021MarER.17105469T. doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105469. PMID 34500299. S2CID 237469500.
^Suh S, Pham C, Smith J, Mesinkovska NA (September 2020). "The banned sunscreen ingredients and their impact on human health: a systematic review". International Journal of Dermatology. 59 (9): 1033–1042. doi:10.1111/ijd.14824. PMC 7648445. PMID 32108942.
^Chatzigianni M, Pavlou P, Siamidi A, Vlachou M, Varvaresou A, Papageorgiou S (November 2022). "Environmental impacts due to the use of sunscreen products: a mini-review". Ecotoxicology. 31 (9): 1331–1345. Bibcode:2022Ecotx..31.1331C. doi:10.1007/s10646-022-02592-w. PMC 9652235. PMID 36173495.
^"Skin Cancer - Skin Cancer Facts - Common Skin Cancer Types". www.cancer.org. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008.
^Sunscreens and Photoprotection at eMedicine
^Research, Center for Drug Evaluation and (November 16, 2021). "Questions and Answers: FDA posts deemed final order and proposed order for over-the-counter sunscreen". FDA.
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Sunscreen, also known as sunblock or sun cream, is a photoprotective topical product for the skin that helps protect against sunburn and prevent skin...
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radiation by using sunscreen. Five sunscreen ingredients have been shown to protect mice against skin tumors. However, some sunscreen chemicals produce...
Public Access to Sunscreens Coalition, or PASS Coalition, is a coalition of public health organizations, dermatologists and sunscreen product companies...
is triggered and the tissue is replaced. Sun protective measures like sunscreen and sun protective clothing are widely accepted to prevent sunburn and...
and socialite. She is the founder and chief executive officer of the sunscreen company LUMASOL. Hutchins is also Caitlyn Jenner's manager and the former...
The Sunscreen Innovation Act (S. 2141, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 113–195 (text) (PDF)) is a 2014 law that amended the Federal Food, Drug...
that is readily soluble in most organic solvents. It is widely used in sunscreen formulations, plastics, toys, furniture finishes, and other products to...
anti-sunscreen views on his podcast, saying he's "as scared of sunscreen as I am of melanoma" and claiming that molecules in some types of sunscreen can...
Direct DNA damage is reduced by sunscreen, which also reduces the risk of developing a sunburn. When the sunscreen is at the surface of the skin, it...
As a pigment, it has a wide range of applications, including paint, sunscreen, and food coloring. When used as a food coloring, it has E number E171...
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Octocrylene is an organic compound used as an ingredient in sunscreens and cosmetics. It is an ester formed by the Knoevenagel condensation of 2-ethylhexyl...
function of the body (for instance, sunscreens and acne creams), although some products, such as moisturizing sunscreens and anti-dandruff shampoos, are regulated...
misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. The article is often referred to as, 'Wear Sunscreen'. Born in Savannah, Georgia, the oldest of eight children, Schmich spent...
and Uvinul MC80, is an organic compound that is an ingredient in some sunscreens and lip balms. It is an ester formed from methoxycinnamic acid and 2-ethylhexanol...
Methoxydibenzoylmethane) is an organic molecule and an oil-soluble ingredient used in sunscreen products to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays. Avobenzone was patented...
A Certified Organic Sunscreen, also known as Petrochemical-Free Sunscreen, is a third party certified sunscreen product consisting of certified and approved...
has signs of being potentially cancerous. Avoiding UV light and using sunscreen in UV-bright sun conditions may prevent melanoma. Treatment typically...
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organizations recommend that people protect themselves (for example, by applying sunscreen to the skin and wearing a hat and sunglasses) if they spend substantial...
[citation needed] Oxybenzone, a common cosmetic ingredient often used in sunscreens, penetrates the skin particularly well because it is not very lipophilic...
interface. The team behind Poolsuite has also launched Vacation, a line of sunscreen, and Manor DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization funded through...
color in the skin.[citation needed] UVA is blocked less than UVB by many sunscreens, but is blocked to some degree by clothing. UVA is known both to cause...
acquired Playtex Products, Inc. for $1.9 billion. The purchase included sunscreen brand Hawaiian Tropic, which Playtex had bought a few months earlier,...
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