Formulation and characterization of sunscreen from Vietnamese herbal extracts

Sunscreen is a critical and effective solution for protecting human skin from harmful effects of UV rays. Sunscreen, with herbal ingredients, is one of the most effective methods for the prevention of skin cancer. This study was performed to screen the UV protection property of potential herbal extracts followed by formulations and quality assessments. Different herbal extracts, including Mangifera indica L., Styphnolobium japonicum L., Folium psidii Guajava, Lonicera japonica Thumb, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch and Polypodium leucotomos were investigated for their UV protection efficacy. Relevant herbal extracts were selected and corresponding suncreen was formulated. The influence of hydroxyethyl cellulose ratio, Tween80 ratio, and herbal extract ratio on appearance, pH, spreadability, physical stability, and in vitro SPF were further assessed to find out the most appropriate formulation. The results revealed that M. indica and S. japonicum extracts showed the best UV protection capacities, as reflected by their highest UV protection indicator of 6.1401±0.1910 and 5.1149±0.0414, respectively. The sunscreen formulations composed 0.6% hydroxyethyl cellulose, 2.0% Tween80, and 0.04% herbal extract was found best. All finalized formulations met the required qualities for sunscreen sensitivity and effectiveness and satisfied quality requirements for the commercial sunscreen products.