Botanicals for photoprotection

Abstract

The importance of photoprotection against the deleterious effects of excessive and chronic exposure to sunlight is now well established. Photoprotective measures include behavioral modifications such as seeking shade, wearing photoprotective clothing, wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and applying sunscreen to exposed areas. Data on botanical topical and oral preparations have demonstrated photoprotective potential in in vitro, animal, and human studies. This review will focus on botanicals that have been most extensively studied, namely, Polypodium leucotomos extract, green tea, pomegranate, resveratrol, curcumin, and silymarin. These agents have shown promise in mitigating ultraviolet-induced acute changes on the skin, chronic photodamage, and even skin cancer prevention. However, it must be emphasized that current evidence indicates that these agents should be used as adjunctive measures rather than as a replacement of the photoprotective behavioral modifications described above.

Keywords

Botanical photoprotection / Polypodium leucotomos extract / green tea / pomegranate / resveratrol / curcumin / silymarin

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