Adding 0.1% rosmarinic acid, an antioxidant, to two traditional ultraviolet filters—one called octyl methoxycinnamate, which blocks ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, and the other called avobenzone, which protects against ultraviolet A (UVA)—increased their protective factors by 41%, with no need to increase the concentrations of the active ingredients. Controlled experiments on animals and humans at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (FCF-USP) indicated that the compound could have other functions, such as reducing aging of the skin. “In another study, we verified that rosmarinic acid could potentially increase surface hydration of the skin,” USP pharmacist and biochemist André Rolim Baby, head of the study, told Agência FAPESP. Found in plants such as rosemary, sage, and mint and first isolated in Italy in 1958, rosmarinic acid is known to have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antineoplastic properties (Cosmetics, January 5).
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More powerful sunscreens
Rosmarinic acid reinforces the blocking of ultraviolet rays
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