Speaker
Description
The sunlight is essential for our well-being, it is responsible for regulating our internal clock, metabolism and for the production of vitamin D, essential for healthy bones. However, excessive exposure to the sun can be dangerous, thus, protecting ourselves from solar radiation is of fundamental importance for our health, to avoid skin photo-aging and the onset of malignant tumors. An ever-increasing attention to the protection of human health and environment has led, in recent years, to an increase in the regulatory aspects concerning this sector, which are becoming always more severe. With these evidences, this research would like to offer an innovation to this sector of cosmetic by designing innovative and eco-sustainable hybrid UV-physical filters composed of hydroxyapatite and biopolymers obtained by a nature inspired biomineralization process.
In particular, titanium-doped-hydroxyapatite (TiHA) was nucleated on different organic matrices to develop physical filters with eco-friendly properties and no-photocatalytic effect. The materials features were investigated by chemical-physical and morphological analysis, in particular the results obtained by UV-VIS spectroscopy have shown their excellent reflectance and absorption properties. Moreover, since titanium is not present in the form of titanium dioxide (TiO2), as in commercial UV-physical filters, but as Ti(IV) ions, any photocatalytic effect was revealed avoiding the photo-degradation of the other ingredients in sunscreen formulations and of collagen of derma, responsible for ROS generation, which results in a greater skin tolerance with a reduced risk of sensitization.
To conclude, being mainly formed by hydroxyapatite, the main component of human bones, these materials are biocompatible and fully-biodegradable in sea water, with the release of harmless ions, therefore, if after their use they end in coastal waters, they are not responsible to damage marine ecosystems.
| Speaker Country | Italy |
|---|