Study on the effects of sunscreen cream announced

Ruijin Hospital has announced the start of a study to determine whether sunscreen cream ingredients enter the bloodstream, pose a risk to or benefit the body, and have an effect on the skin.

The research, conducted with Shanghai Jahwa United Co, follows a US FDA article on the effect of sunscreen application under maximal use conditions on plasma concentrations of sunscreen active ingredients in volunteers.

"Sunblocking is an important measure to protect the skin from aging," said Dr Zheng Jie of Ruijin Hospital's dermatology department.

"The US FDA article mentioned the possible risk to health brought by small-molecule ingredients in sunscreen cream, so we are carrying out this research to study the mechanism of such ingredients and develop more safe, newer, and effective sunscreen cream.

"We will also work with Jahwa to conduct research and development on big-molecule sunscreen creams that have poor skin penetration."

According to experts, the skin is the largest organ in the body and is intimately linked to the health of the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.

"Since 2011, there have been three Noble Prize projects relating to skin research and focusing on the skin's effect as an immunologic barrier.

"Skin is a nervous organ, which connects with peripheral nerves and central nerves; skin is an endocrine organ, which can generate sex hormone and glucocorticoid by itself; skin is also an immunity organ, so the health of the skin barrier is closely related to the health of the entire body," said Zheng, whose hospital started studying skin barrier protecting agents in 2002.

Ruijin developed a series of skin barrier-repairing and protecting products after a six-year research and clinical trial on 1,386 cases.

"We have seen so many patients suffering from skin problems like psoriasis, eczema, and senile pruritus, and repeated flares impact their life quality," he said.

"So our dermatology department planned to develop skin barrier-repairing agents, and with the support of Jahwa, these clinical achievements have been put into industrialization development to benefit the public," he added.