Propolis as potential cosmeceutical sunscreen agent for its combined photoprotective and antioxidant properties.

Propolis, bee glue, and its main polyphenolic components show high antioxidant activity as found measuring their inhibitory action on lipid peroxidation of linoleic acid (LA) in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles. Furthermore, these substances evidence effectiveness as broad spectrum UVB and UVA photoprotection sunscreens, as it results by measurements of sun protection factor (SPF), the universal indicator related primarily to UVB radiations, and of the two parameters giving an indication of the UVA absorbance properties, i.e. UVA/UVB ratio and critical wavelength. The combination of these characteristics moves up propolis and its main polyphenolic components to the class of cosmeceuticals, as possible active ingredient of sunscreen commercial formulations for their protective and preventive properties.