Natural products and their mechanisms in potential photoprotection of the skin

Exposure to solar radiation can generate different types of damage to the skin, including skin cancer. Depending on the duration of the exposure, sun damage can present as sunburn, photoaging, and photoimmunosuppression, among other effects. Using natural products on the skin may aid in preventing the damage caused by exposure to solar radiation, in addition to reducing the adverse side effects of common sunscreens, such as irritation, allergies, phototoxic reactions, photosensitivity, and generation of reactive oxygen species. On the other hand, the UV light absorption capacity of natural products has been reported to be due to the presence of chromophores in their structure, which, when added to the beneficial effects they have on the skin, makes them attractive candidates for use as photoprotectors. The present work gathers updated information regarding skin damage caused by prolonged sun exposure. It also describes the photoprotective effect of several natural products, their mechanism of action, and their preventive and therapeutic potential. For this purpose, the scientific literature was searched using PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar.