Many of us use commercially available sunscreens to protect us from sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer, but what is the chemistry behind their function? This article describes how light energy interacts with molecules to produce excited states, the behavior of those excited states, the particular pathways that result in ultraviolet protection, and the relationship between concentration and absorption. Structures of substances used in sunscreen preparations and their accompanying regions of UV-absorption are provided. A brief discussion of the "Sun Protection Factor" or SPF that appears on the labels of sunscreen preparations is also included.
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