Accumulation of sunscreen in human skin after daily applications: a study of sunscreens with different ultraviolet radiation filters

BackgroundThe application of sunscreen is a critical component of a sun-safe strategy, however the possibility of unexpected, adverse outcomes resulting from long-term use of sunscreens containing nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) has not yet been examined. Here, immune-competent hairless mice were exposed over a 36-week period to weekly topical applications of sunscreens containing nanoparticles of ZnO or TiO2, or no metal oxide nanoparticles, with or without subsequent exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Control groups received no sunscreen applications, with or without UVR.ResultsMice exposed to UVR in the absence of sunscreen developed statistically significant incidences of histologically-diagnosed malignant and benign skin neoplasms, whereas no statistically significant adverse biological outcomes were found in mice treated with the sunscreens containing ZnO or TiO2 nanoparticles. Elevated levels of Ti were detected in the livers of mice treated with sunscreen containing TiO2 nanoparticles compared to untreated control, but total Zn concentrations did not significantly alter in any major organs except for the skin of mice treated with ZnO sunscreen. Exposure to UVR did not have a significant impact on examined tissue concentrations of Zn or Ti. Few to no transcriptional changes were found in ZnO or TiO2-treated groups, but mice treated with the sunscreen containing only organic filters showed substantial gene disregulation.ConclusionsTaken together with previous work, this long-term study provided no basis to avoid the use of sunscreens containing metal oxide nanoparticles.

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“…Therefore, when long periods outdoors are anticipated, the regular application of sunscreens is encouraged (e.g. [ 5 – 7 ]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term exposure to commercially available sunscreens containing nanoparticles of TiO2 and ZnO revealed no biological impact in a hairless mouse model

et al. 2015

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“…Bodekaer et al . showed that when sunscreen was applied three times daily, it accumulated on the skin, increasing exposure to potential skin sensitizers. Thus, exploring if frequent sunscreen application increases the risk for induction of an allergy would be an interesting next step.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors that influence sunscreen application thickness and potential preservative exposure

Novick¹,

Anderson²,

Miller³

et al. 2015

Photoderm Photoimm Photomed

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“…Options for UV exposure templates: Like Daavlin, The Copenhagen company Chromo-Light has an MED patch, but it does not seem to be widely available. 5 Daavlin also has a glove and a fabric patch for larger skin areas. 1 MED testing using these options is similar to using the Daavlin sticker patch.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing

Heckman

Chandler

Kloss

et al. 2013

JoVE

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Ultraviolet radiation (UV) therapy is sometimes used as a treatment for various common skin conditions, including psoriasis, acne, and eczema. The dosage of UV light is prescribed according to an individual's skin sensitivity. Thus, to establish the proper dosage of UV light to administer to a patient, the patient is sometimes screened to determine a minimal erythema dose (MED), which is the amount of UV radiation that will produce minimal erythema (sunburn or redness caused by engorgement of capillaries) of an individual's skin within a few hours following exposure. This article describes how to conduct minimal erythema dose (MED) testing. There is currently no easy way to determine an appropriate UV dose for clinical or research purposes without conducting formal MED testing, requiring observation hours after testing, or informal trial and error testing with the risks of under-or over-dosing. However, some alternative methods are discussed. Video LinkThe video component of this article can be found at

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Accumulation of sunscreen in human skin after daily applications: a study of sunscreens with different ultraviolet radiation filters

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

Long-term exposure to commercially available sunscreens containing nanoparticles of TiO2 and ZnO revealed no biological impact in a hairless mouse model

Long-term exposure to commercially available sunscreens containing nanoparticles of TiO2 and ZnO revealed no biological impact in a hairless mouse model

Factors that influence sunscreen application thickness and potential preservative exposure

Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing

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