Summers are filled with sunny days to enjoy the outdoors, but you need to bring along the proper sun protection to prevent skin damage. The latest edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News looks at the chemistry the sun triggers in our skin. View the full graphic on the C&EN site.
Sunscreen protects our skin from the sun, but there’s also evidence that some of the lotion’s ingredients may damage coral reefs. The latest edition of Periodic Graphics looks at the responsible compounds and efforts to combat the problem. Click through to the Chemical and Engineering News site to view the full graphic.
With summer more or less here (stifle those sniggers, English readers), it seemed as good a time as any to examine the chemicals in sunscreen. It’s a product that many of us may take for granted, but you’ve got chemistry to thank for it preventing your skin turning lobster red in the summer sun. There are a number of chemical molecules used in currently available sunscreens, with the exact formulation actually depending on where in the world you live. Additionally, the chemistry of these molecules can help explain why sunscreen has to be reapplied periodically.
