Scientists from the Brown University have found that human skin has its own mechanism of protecting itself from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and using sunscreens could actually block the body's natural defense against harmful UV rays. Scientists hope that this new finding could help pharmaceutical companies to develop more effective broad-spectrum sunscreens.
The human skin possesses light-sensitive photoreceptor- rhodopsin also found in the retina of the eye. These photoreceptors can detect UV radiation from the sun and release the protective tanning pigment melanin. The findings have been published in the journal Current Biology.