Commonly used UV filter toxicity on biological functions: review of last decade studies

Synopsis Sunscreens provide broad-spectrum UV skin protection and contain more often UV filter combinations. Their efficacy reducing skin photo carcinogenesis and photo ageing is widely documented. However, there are many concerns about UV filter safety. Organic UV filters were the first targeted by scientist concerns, as they were showed to trigger skin allergic reactions. Inorganic UV filters were then at the heart of scientist debate especially because of their nanometric size. Over the last years, many studies have been published tending to highlight that organic as well as inorganic UV filters could lead to variable side effects after sunscreen application. However, these studies are still very controversial due to different experimental conditions and models. This review reveals that complementary studies using standardized methods are mandatory before ascertaining that UV filters threaten human health. Resume Les produits solaires destines a proteger la peau contre les irradiations UV contiennent le plus souvent des combinaisons de filtres UV. Ces filtres permettent de reduire le vieillissement premature de la peau ainsi que la survenue de cancer cutane. Cependant, la nocivite des filtres UV est toujours un sujet de controverse. Ainsi, des reactions allergiques liees a l'utilisation de produits solaires contenant des filtres UV organiques ont ete rapportees dans la litterature. Recemment, l'utilisation de filtres UV mineraux a l'echelle nanometrique, disperses dans les produits destines a la protection solaire a fait l'objet de travaux scientifiques visant a etablir le niveau de penetration cutanee. Ces dernieres annees, de nombreuses etudes ont ete publiees tendant a montrer que les filtres UV organiques et inorganiques peuvent entrainer divers effets indesirables. Mais, ces diverses etudes restent tres controversees notamment a cause des differences dans les conditions experimentales et les modeles utilises. Cette revue revele que des etudes complementaires utilisant des methodes standardisees sont necessaires pour confirmer ou infirmer que les filtres UV presentent un risque sanitaire.