What do you get when you mix chemicals found in fish mucus, shrimp shells and algae together? A new all-natural sunscreen, of course.
Scientists from AlbaNova University Center in Stockholm, Sweden and the University of the Basque Country in Leioa, Spain, have stumbled upon a new UV-absorbing concoction that could potentially be more effective than conventional sunscreen options.
The scientific team has combined the mycosporine-like amino acids that exist in sun-prone bacteria, algae and fish, with the chemical chitosan – commonly derived from shrimp and crustacean shells – to create an all-natural substance that can be applied to skin without difficulty. With the chitosan serving as a chemical base for the amino acids during initial trials, the substance was able to perform just as well when absorbing UV rays as the amino acids tend to do on their own. And that’s with attaching just 1/30th of the amino acids they could have, explained Vincent Bulone from AlbaNova University Center in Stockholm, to the New Scientist.
Not only is the substance effective at protecting against UV rays – it’s also comprised of materials that are biodegradable and can be obtained from food waste.
“We show that these materials are biocompatible, photoresistant, and thermoresistant, and exhibit a highly efficient absorption of both UV-A and UV-B radiations. Thus, they have the potential to provide an efficient protection against both types of UV radiations and overcome several shortfalls of the current UV-protective products,” reads the abstract written by Bulone and the rest of the scientific team about the new sun-blocking substance.
While testing on mouse skin cells has indicated that the substance is non-toxic, further testing and ultimately human trials will be needed to confirm its safety. Smell, Bulone told the New Scientist, won’t be an issue: “Once you have purified the molecules, they don’t smell at all, I promise,” he said.
