Exploring Plant-Based Cooking Oils as a Promising Topical Alternative to Sunscreen

Abstract

Sunscreens protect the skin from the harmful effects of Ultraviolet radiation in the sunlight. However, most commercial sunscreens pose health and environmental hazards, lose effectivity over time, or are simply unpleasant to use, making it imperative to search for greener, safer, and efficacious alternatives. Plant-based oil extractions are promising given their hydrophobicity, nontoxicity, and availability. This paper aims to determine the absorptive capabilities of five common cooking (vegetable) oils using UVA spectrophotometry and analyze the properties of the oils that relate to their efficacy. Oils high in tocols, such as Rice Bran Oil, had the highest extinction coefficient. The analysis suggests that plant-based oil extractions high in phytonutrients with aromatic rings and pi-systems, such as tocols and carotenoids, present the greatest potential to serve as UV chemical filters.