One step closer to developing a potentially ultra-protective sunscreen from our own melanin — ScienceDaily

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Melanin, the pigment that gives humans the color of their skin, eyes, and hair, is the body’s first and best natural defense against the sun’s harmful rays. Cosmetic companies have long tried to harness the protective powers of natural and synthetic melanin for use in chemical sunscreens and other personal care products. For example, melanin could, in theory, be used to produce a radiation barrier that boosts skin care products by evening out a more diverse range of natural skin tones. But melanin is so notoriously unstable and difficult to study that, until now, scientists haven’t been able to see what it looks like on a molecular level, resulting in a slow, trial-and-error approach to its potential use in personal care products. . .

“As we gain a better understanding of the structure of melanin, we should be able to make predictable alternatives that work better than those currently available,” said Jean-Philip Lumb, one of the paper’s lead authors. The study found that the melanin component converted light to heat at all wavelengths, from ultraviolet to infrared, offering broad spectrum protection. The molecule was also remarkably small, which the researchers say has practical benefits because the number of atoms required to provide this level of sun protection is fewer than anything previously reported. “We have taken a big step forward in understanding a new mechanism for how melanin can serve as a sunscreen,” said Lumb.