A Comparative Study on Some Natural and Synthetic Sunscreens and their Skin Aberration Measurements

In this paper, we discuss about some natural and synthetic sunscreen materials and their effects on skin. Ultraviolet (UV) radiations causes aberrations on skin. Sunscreens protects the skin against the side effect of the UV radiations. There are natural and synthetic sunscreens. The selected natural sunscreens are aloe vera, cucumber and tender coconut pulp. ZnO and CeO2 are prepared by colloidal chemical synthesis and it is compared with sunscreen available in the market. Natural sunscreens have more UV absorption than synthetic ones. Among the three natural transparent sunscreens we studied, Aloe vera has maximum UV broad band absorption. The effects of sunscreen on skin was studied by the cytology of root - tip cells of onion. It is found that artificial sunscreens induce mitotic abnormalities. Natural sunscreens have less skin aberration compared to synthetic ones.