Potential new sunscreens are coral safe and provide more UVB / UVA protection

New research published in Science report Methylene blue, a 100-year-old drug, absorbs UVA and UVB, repairs ROS and UV irradiation-induced DNA damage, and is a highly effective wide-spectrum UV protection agent that is safe for coral reefs. I discovered that it could be. This study suggests that methylene blue may be an alternative sunscreen ingredient that supports the environment and protects human skin health.

Oxybenzone is used as a chemical UV blocker in 80% of sunscreens today, but studies have shown that it promotes the destruction of oxybenzone. Coral reef.. Currently, some states and countries have banned the use of oxybenzone and its derivatives to stop the devastating effects on the world’s marine ecosystems.In addition, consumers are mainly Sun protection factor (SPF) To prevent sunburn and potentially dangerous long-term health problems. However, because SPF only measures UVB exposure, sunscreen users remain vulnerable to UVA-induced oxidative stress and photoaging.

“Our job is Methylene blue Is an effective UVB blocker with many highly desirable properties as a promising ingredient in sunscreens. It exhibits broad spectral absorption of both UVA and UVB rays, promotes DNA damage repair, fights UVA-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), and most importantly, does not harm coral reefs. .. , Founder of Mblue Labs, Bluelene Skincare, Professor of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland.

A research team, including scientists from Mblue Labs and the University of Maryland, examined the benefits of UV protection of methylene blue in the skin fibroblasts of primary human keratinocytes and donors of all ages and sexes, and compared their results with oxybenzone. Did. They conclude that methylene blue not only absorbs UVA and UVB like traditional sunscreen actives, but also helps repair DNA damage caused by UV irradiation, thereby increasing cell viability. It was. They also exposed the same amount of methylene blue or oxybenzone to the soft coral species Xenia umbellate in an isolated tank and monitored the growth of coral reefs and their reaction to these chemicals. They reported dramatic bleaching and death of oxybenzone-treated Xenia coral within a week, but methylene blue does not adversely affect coral health even at relatively high concentrations (1 micromol).

They also compared methylene blue with other well-known skin care antioxidants such as Vitamin A (retinol) and Vitamin C in their ability to reduce cellular oxidative stress. “We are very excited to see that skin fibroblasts from both young and old people are significantly improved in terms of proliferation and cell stress in cell culture media containing methylene blue. It is shared by Dr. Soso. “Most surprisingly, the combination of methylene blue and vitamin C was found to have a surprising anti-aging effect, especially on the skin cells of older donors. This is a powerful antioxidant between these two beneficial antioxidants. It suggests a synergistic reaction. “

“Overall, our research suggests that methylene blue is a coral reef-friendly sunscreen active ingredient and may provide broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB,” the team summarized. I conclude.

Based on the findings, researchers believe that methylene blue is an effective UV blocker that slows skin aging and accelerates DNA damage repair. They applied for a patent and started developing a prototype sunscreen containing methylene blue. In addition, Mblue Lab (Bluelene) recently launched the first multifunctional skin care product (Bluelene’s Night Plus +) that combines methylene blue with vitamin C for optimal anti-aging benefits.

Provided by Mblue Labs