SYNTHESIS OF SUNSCREEN CONTAINING OCTYL SALICYLATE AND ZINC OXIDE – COMPARISON OF SUN PROTECTION FACTOR

With global warming on the rise and depletion of ozone layer, the wrath of the only star in our solar system is on its epitome. The main objective of this project was to develop a non-toxic and nourishing UV sunscreen with the incorporation of organic and inorganic filters and natural ingredients which protects the skin from carcinogenic UVA and UVB radiation and at the same time exfoliating and nourishing the skin. The formulation that was investigated: Octyl Salicylate with Zinc Oxide. The active ingredients were dispersed, that is Octyl Salicylate and Zinc Oxide, into a medium. That medium was a water-oil cream, on which the active ingredients were dispersed. The cream was formulated using hydrosol(80%) - rose water, humectant(4%) - honey, liquid oil(10%) - virgin coconut oil, emulsifier(4%) - Glyceral Stearate, thickener (2%) - Proplyene Glycol. The UV absorption of the cream was measured using UV- Visible Spectrophotometer, while the SPF of the formulated sunscreen was measured using a linear regression model obtained between maximum absorption in the UVB region and the SPF value of the commercial sunscreen available in the market. The cream showed broad spectrum absorption especially in the UVB region. Comparison of UV spectra indicates that sunscreen synthesized in this study has superior UV protection than those of commercial samples.