Amazing! Real eatable sunscreen may come out this year!

Under the blazing sun, people use myriad protections such as umbrellas and sunscreen lotions to prevent their skin from burning.  Without a doubt, umbrellas and sunscreens work wonders for the majority.  But if you are a labor worker, or an athlete, or a person who sweat a lot and hate to reapply the greasy lotion, you may need other options.

Photo courtesy: allure June. 15, 2016 http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2013/05/23/sunscreen-being-applied-to-child.jpg

For that purpose, many vendors release different forms of sunscreen such as drinkable sunscreen and sunscreen pills.  These options sound tempting, but do they work as effective as sunscreen lotion?

Photo courtesy: s.hswstatic.com June. 15, 2016 http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/sunscreen-pills-1.jpg

So far, sunscreen pills are still a supplement that cannot replace the lotion and block the sunlight as sunblock does.  They usually contain vitamins and antioxidants that people miss in their diet.  These ingredients may help protect our bodies against damaging free radicals caused by ultraviolet light but cannot shield our skins as the lotion does.

Photo courtesy: thedermablog June. 15, 2016  http://www.thedermablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Sun-Protection-in-a-pill.jpg

A recent report brings good news that the real sunscreen pills are coming out soon.  Scientists have worked hard to produce pills that can replace lotion since 2011 when they discover the secret of the ocean.  They uncovered a compound that coral produces to protect it from the sun. Fish that feeds on the coral also benefit from this sunscreen protection.  They have been working to use these substances to produce pills.  They hope when human consume the pills, they would get the same protection.  If it works, it could cut rates of sunburn and skin cancer.

Photo courtesy: wikimedia June. 15, 2016 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Coral_Outcrop_Flynn_Reef.jpg

When will those pills come out?  According to the interview in 2011, the pills may come out within five years.  That is, maybe this year, we will no longer need the greasy lotion, and spare our hands from endless reapplication.

Reference:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/aug/31/sunscreen-pill-coral-five-years
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/sun-care/sunscreen-pills.htm