While no one would argue against the importance of sun protection education, we in the cosmetics industry are aware of a major stumbling block that the medical establishment often overlooks, namely, that even people who know they should wear sunscreen daily avoid using it for cosmetic reasons. Their complaints range from "it’s greasy and makes me break out" to "it makes me look like a ghost." Because anything that prevents sunscreen use is non-trivial, our strategy to aid in the prevention of photodamage, including photocarcinogenesis, has been to deliver a cosmetically appealing yet still effective sunscreen/moisturizer. Part of our solution has been to utilize non-toxic minerals like zinc oxide, while another, equally important part, has been to use botanicals whose effectiveness is backed by stellar research. Used in sunscreens, botanicals have the advantage over minerals of being invisible, and the advantage over chemicals of being non-toxic. Two of the most versatile and powerful ingredients we use are substances derived from green tea and grapes.

Antioxidants and UV Radiation

UV radiation leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidants aid in preventing damage from UV radiation by neutralizing reactive oxygen species, also called free radicals, generated by UV rays. Much study has been done on the efficacy of various antioxidants, with ascorbic acid, super oxide dismutase, “SOD” and Co-enzyme-Q showing excellent results. Polyphenolic extracts from two natural sources, grapes and green tea, protect against UVB and UVA rays, and one study shows topical applications of green tea polyphenolic extracts helps reduce sun damage risk.

Multiple Benefits of Grapes

Grapeseed extract’s polyphenols exert UV protective capabilities by acting as ROS scavengers, but as with green tea, the benefits don’t stop there. An extract from grape skins, known as resveratrol, is an important multi-tasker that plays a role in inhibiting some of the aging processes associated with inflammation. In addition, it is one of the most promising agents for the prevention of cancer. Resveratrol appears to impart photoprotection of normal cells by suppressing UV induced tumor formation. Image Source