[UV Filters. State of the art].

This article describes the basic principles of photoprotection with classic sunscreens containing chemical and/or physical UV filters and standard methods of sun protection factor (SPF) determination. In addition, the new governmental regulations and recommendations of the European Commission for photoprotection are presented and compared to regulations in other regions of the world. Finally, the efficacy of sunscreens in sunlight-induced non-sunburn effects, such as immune suppression and carcinogenesis are discussed.