Abstract
Our interaction with the sun is still equivocal, to say the least. We like its
soothing influence on the body and soul, but we are afraid of its highly hazardous
heating ability and the long-term skin damage that can emerge from chronic sun
exposure. Scientists are consistently seeking to enhance sunblock products in
accordance with a need for better skin protection from the sun. Once human skin is
exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), the synthesis of reactive oxygen species
(ROS) skyrockets. The influx of ROS leads to oxidative stress by mutating the natural
equilibrium toward a pro-oxidative state. Alteration in proteins and lipids, stimulation
of inflammation, immunodeficiency, DNA damage, and activation of signaling
pathways that influence gene transcription, cell cycle, proliferation, and apoptosis are
all illustrations of the detrimental effects of oxidative stress. This chapter provides new
insight into several Phyto-products having an antioxidant activity to suppress the UV
rays impact, the relationship between UVR-aging, current understanding of the
regulation of constitutive human skin pigmentation and responses to UV radiation, with
emphasis on physiological factors that influence those processes.