# Revolutionizing Sun Protection: Emerging Nanotechnologies Shaping the Future of Sunscreens

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how nanotechnology is being used to improve sunscreen effectiveness and safety, highlighting the need for further safety research.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review and categorization of nanotechnology applications in sunscreen development.

## Key findings

- Nanotechnology improves sunscreen formulation performance and UV filter efficacy.
- Further safety studies are needed to prevent potential systemic absorption risks.
- Nano-based delivery systems are increasingly adopted in sunscreen development.

## Abstract

Sun protection has become a significant public health
issue in
recent decades due to the high incidence of skin diseases related
to excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The use of nanosystems
in sunscreens represents a promising innovation in the pharmaceutical
and cosmetic fields. This paper aims to map and characterize studies
on the use of nanotechnology in sunscreens. This account identifies,
categorizes, and describes the effectiveness and safety of these interventions.
Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Lilacs (BVS),
Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Fifty-four studies that
described or evaluated the development of formulations associated
with nanotechnology were included. The results suggest that nanotechnology
can significantly enhance pharmaceutical sunscreen formulations by
improving both the formulation performance and UV filter efficacy.
However, further studies are needed, especially safety studies aimed
at avoiding undesirable effects, such as systemic absorption. Therefore,
the use of nanotechnology-based active delivery systems has become
a widely adopted strategy for developing improved formulations.