Recent developments in chemistry of sunscreens & their photostabilization

Excessive exposure of UV radiation from the sunlight to human skin is dangerous and causes various skin disorders including skin cancer. Dermatologists worldwide recommend use of skin creams/lotions containing UV-filters/sunscreens for protection from such harmful effects. There is continuous evolution and development of new organic, inorganic and hybrid sunscreens which are being used in such skin care preparations. In the recent past it has been seen that some of these materials are not stable to UV light and the sun protection offered by them decreases rapidly with time. Therefore, most of the formulators now prefer photostable sunscreens or the formulations are designed in such a way that they provide inherent photostability. In this review, we have covered the chemistry of synthesis of different organic sunscreens, issues related to photostability of some of them, and different approaches used to enhance their photostability.