Use of Propolis and Echinacea extracts as alternatives to organic filter in photoprotective formulations

Recently, the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries have aimed to reduce the concentration of EU-approved organic filters in their products by incorporating more natural ingredients. The goal is to find effective SPF boosters from plants while maintaining high protection levels and adhering to ecological and public health standards. This study focuses on developing a sunscreen formulation that replaces the organic filter EHMC (2-ethylhexyl-4-meth­oxycinnamate) with extracts from Echinacea purpurea and/or Propolis oil. The new formulation, which includes Ethylhexyltriazone (EHT), Octocrylene (OCR), Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB), and Methylene bis-benzotriazol­yltetramethylbutylphenol (MBBT), was compared with a control formulation containing EHMC. The results showed that the plant-based combination significantly enhanced the in vitro SPF and UVAPF by over 80% and 60%, respectively.