Biomass waste as a photoprotective agent in the formulation of sunscreen preparation

UVA and UVB radiation from sunlight may lead to erythema and skin cancer. Those risks can be reduced by using photoprotective agents. Sunscreen is a photoprotective agent that successfully protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation. However, the active ingredients containing synthetic chemicals can hurt the skin. This review provides knowledge regarding using lignin compounds obtained from biomass waste as photoprotective agents that have been investigated for performance. The method of study applied is a literature review of original research conducted within the last ten years. Data were searched using the keywords biomass waste, photoprotective, and sunscreen on the Pubmed and Google Scholar websites. The results showed that lignin can be found in varying levels of biomass waste, such as banana stems, coconut shells, corn stalks, rice straws, and others. Delignification of lignin from biomass can be accomplished using basic solvents, acidic solvents, organosolvents, and Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES). The delignification procedure using DES is considered more environmentally friendly and less toxic. The higher the lignin concentration in the cream, the greater the SPF value. This is because lignin contains phenolic, ketone, and other chromophore functional groups capable of absorbing UV radiation. Furthermore, converting lignin molecules into nanoparticles and modifying their chemical structure may enhance the SPF value of lignin-containing creams. The addition of phenolic hydroxyl auxochrome groups and catechol units to the lignin molecule was found to increase the SPF value of lignin. It may be concluded that lignin can be utilized as a photoprotective agent, and biomass waste can be transformed into high-value cosmetic products.