Can Natural Herbs Protect Your Skin From the Sun?
This summer, before you head outdoors, you’re likely slathering on sunscreen—if you forget to do so, you’re risking a sunburn in the short-term and the possibility of skin cancer down the road. But what if there was a way to acquire protection from the sun’s harsh ultraviolet radiation without having to apply a chemical coating?
Researchers have been looking into the possibility that the compounds inside various herbs can confer some degree of sun protection for some time. A new review [PDF] of such work, published yesterday in the Journal of Alternative and Contemporary Therapies, indicates that several herbs, including golden serpent fern and Asian ginseng, might help protect our skin from UV light.
To be clear, all major medical organizations still recommend the use of conventional sunscreen. But several studies have shown that extracts made from these herbs, when taken orally or applied directly on the skin, were associated with a reduction in the amount of damage caused by UV light and an increase in the amount of exposure necessary to cause a burn.
Golden serpent fern (known to scientists as Phlebodium aureum) is the herb for which the most evidence has been amassed. The plant grows wild in Florida and Georgia but is most commonly found in Central and South America, where it is called calaguala. It is used in the treatment of some inflammatory diseases, and research indicates that it might be useful for sun protection in the general population as well.
In one study, nine participants took an oral dose of the herb extract and were then exposed to UV light. Twenty-four hours later, they exhibited significantly less sunburn than a control group, and when their skin cells were examined under a microscope, the researchers saw less inflammation and damage. In another experiment, the amount of UV exposure needed to trigger sunburn was nearly three times higher for people who had been given the extract, as compared with others that had been given a placebo. Scientists speculate that antioxidant compounds in the herb—including phenolic and hydroxycinnamic acids—may protect skin cells at the molecular level.