“`html
Scientific experts have uncovered a technique to render mineral-based sunscreen products more consistent and decrease the likelihood of a whitish film appearing on the skin.(Image credit: NickyLloyd via Getty Images)
- Copy link
- X
Share this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterLive ScienceGet the Live Science Newsletter
Have the most captivating worldwide findings delivered directly to your inbox.
Become a Member in Seconds
Gain immediate access to special features for members only.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered DailyDaily Newsletter
Subscribe for the newest discoveries, innovative research and absorbing breakthroughs that affect both you and the larger global society right to your inbox.
Signup +
Once a weekLife’s Little Mysteries
Indulge your inquisitiveness with a unique mystery each week, solved with science and distributed directly to your inbox prior to its public release elsewhere.
Signup +
Once a weekHow It Works
Register for our complimentary science and technology publication to receive your weekly dosage of captivating essays, brief quizzes, striking visuals, and more
Signup +
Delivered dailySpace.com Newsletter
Up-to-the-minute space bulletins, the most current details regarding rocket dispatches, celestial observation events and beyond!
Signup +
Once a monthWatch This Space
Opt-in to our monthly amusement publication to remain current with all our reporting on the most recent sci-fi and cosmic cinematic works, television series, digital games and printed books.
Signup +
Once a weekNight Sky This Week
Uncover this week’s unmissable night sky occurrences, lunar cycles, and remarkable astrophotography. Subscribe to our stargazing publication and explore the universe alongside us!
Signup +Join the club
Gain complete entry to exclusive articles, special content and a growing compilation of member benefits.
Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletter
Mineral-based sunblocks are well-known for leaving a pale coloration on the skin — however now, researchers have determined that fine-tuning the configuration of zinc oxide minuscule particles within the mixture can aid in resolving this issue.
The innovative, four-limbed crystalline arrangement, referred to as a tetrapod, was documented during December within the journal ACS Materials Letters, and it impedes individual minute particles from clustering collectively. This concurrently improves the steadiness of the sunscreen formulation and generates a more glowing hue that more effectively complements an array of dermal tones.
You may like
-
Gray hair may have evolved as a protection against cancer, study hints
-
Death Valley shrub rearranges its insides to thrive in one of the hottest places on Earth
-
Needle-free insulin? Scientists invent gel that delivers insulin through the skin in animal studies
In contrast to mineral-based sunscreens, chemical-based sunscreens soak into the dermis and do not impart a coloring. Nevertheless, a number of individuals favor mineral sunscreens, which remain atop the epidermis, but the deposited material produces an unattractive physical appearance subsequent to application.
“I felt annoyed by the aesthetic of mineral sunblock on my personal complexion,” declared principal research creator Ajoa Addae, a doctoral candidate in chemical biology at UCLA, in an assertion. “Significant impetus originated from my personal endeavor trying to utilize mineral sunscreen and contending with the pale shade and supplementary unpleasant cosmetic concerns. This directed me to simply bypass sunscreen completely.”
Mineral sunscreens employ chalk-like zinc oxide for absorbing deleterious UV emission. These items are generally crafted as colloidal substances — a suspension involving minuscule rigid particulates inside a watery or oily foundation. However, this suspended framework may spawn several tangible complications both for makers and shoppers, stated Kyra Sedransk Campbell, a previous instructor of chemical engineering at the University of Sheffield and presently CEO of Kingston Street Consulting.
For instance, interactions among specific particulates throughout the suspension form aggregates over a period, which might result in apparent whitish streaks as the merchandise is applied onto the epidermis. Additionally, “they do not possess an extensive shelf life,” incorporated Sedransk Campbell, who had no involvement within the new investigation. “Typically it’s more demanding to preserve the consistency of the sunblock, and assured effectiveness is predicated upon when the product is in its most favorable state — therefore it is considerably more complex to furnish identical assurances as with a chemical sunblock.”
Addae and her associates opted to probe if altering the configuration of the zinc oxide nanoscale particulates might facilitate managing these issues without undermining the sun protection potency.
They employed an approach recognized as “flame synthesis,” that entails heating zinc using ethanol inside a furnace, thereby yielding an unobstructed flame. This produces four-limbed nanoparticles, which are consequently merged into a sunscreen preparation. Scanning electron microscopy, that exploits an electron stream to render high-definition representations of specimens, exposed that these novel particulates were ampler than the spherical nanostructures usually identified in sunblock but they exhibited a lessened propensity to clump collectively.
“On account of their construction, these tetrapod-shaped particulates possess standoffs and establish porous webs rather than collapsing into clusters,” stated Addae. “They are unable to pack firmly and mass, therefore they remain uniformly dispersed within the sunblock.”
You may like
-
Gray hair may have evolved as a protection against cancer, study hints
-
Death Valley shrub rearranges its insides to thrive in one of the hottest places on Earth
-
Needle-free insulin? Scientists invent gel that delivers insulin through the skin in animal studies
Most importantly, even so, this alternative configuration did not impact the sunblock’s shield effectiveness. Wide-spectrum sunscreens should protect against a pair of wavelength groupings of UV illumination: UVA (315 to 400 nanometers) and UVB (280 to 315 nanometers). Their experimental formula successfully absorbed both wavelength spectrums and realized a sun protection component (SPF) of approximately 30, the benchmark for mineral sunscreens.
Product consistency evaluation additionally demonstrated that the novel combination demonstrated diminished inclination for thickening or separating over a duration, contrasted with preparations featuring standard spherical particulates. That indicates it might potentially preserve this elevated effectiveness longer.
RELATED STORIES
—Scientists devise innovative sunblock crafted from pollen
—Simple blood assay might reveal probability of lethal dermal malignancy reoccurring, research indicates
—Cancer injection aided in retaining melanoma under regulation for numerous years within a limited study
Nonetheless, a crucial component of a prosperous sunblock is that individuals truly aspire to utilize it.
The pale tinge triggered by aggregations of zinc oxide particulates within mineral preparations constitutes a consistent grievance amid U.S. consumers and quoted as a justification regarding why a multitude of individuals, notably those possessing more pigmented dermal tones, shun these items. The novel tetrapod constructions scatter noticeable illumination uniquely compared to conventional spherical zinc oxide particulates, consequently engendering a warmer hue that would likely be more satisfactory to users.
“Whenever I spread it on my personal complexion, I did not acquire that pale shade I usually observe with zinc oxide,” declared Addae. “That was the instant I recognized this might genuinely operate.”
The application-driven emphasis of this investigation is “genuinely stimulating” and possesses the capacity to translate into substantive consequence, stated Sedransk Campbell. The succeeding procedures will encompass assessing the human and ecological safety profiles of the tetrapod nanoparticles and exploring how to increase output in a cost-efficient fashion.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
Article Sources
Addae, A. J., Uyanga, J., Mishra, Y. K., Caram, J., & Weiss, P. S. (2025). Flame-synthesized zinc oxide tetrapods for photoprotection in sunscreen formulations. ACS Materials Letters. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialslett.5c01351
Victoria AtkinsonSocial Links NavigationLive Science Contributor
Victoria Atkinson works as a freelance science journalist, specializing in chemistry and its interface with the natural and human-made worlds. Currently based in York (UK), she formerly worked as a science content developer at the University of Oxford, and later as a member of the Chemistry World editorial team. Since becoming a freelancer, Victoria has expanded her focus to explore topics from across the sciences and has also worked with Chemistry Review, Neon Squid Publishing and the Open University, amongst others. She has a DPhil in organic chemistry from the University of Oxford.
View More
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
LogoutRead more
Gray hair may have evolved as a protection against cancer, study hints
Death Valley shrub rearranges its insides to thrive in one of the hottest places on Earth
Needle-free insulin? Scientists invent gel that delivers insulin through the skin in animal studies