Scientists in China say they have developed a cooling sunscreen that lowers skin temperature by up to 6 degrees Celsius.
This sunscreen is ideal for outdoor workers because it is also waterproof and provides protection equivalent to factor 51 sunscreen after 12 hours of continuous exposure to strong UV rays.
A team from Tsinghua University in Beijing said it had “promising commercial potential in the sunscreen market” in research published in the peer-reviewed journal Nano Letters last month.
“We have created a radiative-cooling sunscreen that can not only significantly reduce skin temperature but also protect the skin from being harmed by UV rays,” they wrote.
Corresponding author Zhang Ruofan, associate professor of chemical engineering at Tsinghua University, said humans must adapt because climate change is leading to more extreme weather, but adapting to heat is usually more difficult than dealing with cold.
“We can wear thick clothes to stay warm in freezing temperatures. But in extreme heat above 50 degrees Celsius [122 Fahrenheit]Outdoor workers such as transportation police, road workers, and farmers have to deal with extreme conditions that can lead to heat exhaustion, exhaustion, or death. “They need effective cooling methods and skin protection,” Zhang said.
