Harmful UV Radiation Research Articles

Heart cockle shells transmit sunlight to photosymbiotic algae using bundled fiber optic cables and condensing lenses.

Many animals convergently evolved photosynthetic symbioses. In bivalves, giant clams (Cardiidae: Tridacninae) gape open to irradiate their symbionts, but heart cockles (Cardiidae: Fraginae) stay closed because sunlight passes through transparent windows in their shells. Here, we show that heart cockles (Corculum cardissa and spp.) use biophotonic adaptations to transmit sunlight for photosynthesis. Heart cockles transmit 11-62% of photosynthetically active radiation (mean = 31%) but only 5-28% of potentially harmful UV radiation (mean = 14%) to their symbionts. Beneath each window, microlenses condense light to penetrate more deeply into the symbiont-rich tissue. Within each window, aragonite forms narrow fibrous prisms perpendicular to the surface. These bundled "fiber optic cables" project images through the shell with a resolution of >100 lines/mm. Parameter sweeps show that the aragonite fibers' size (~1 µm diameter), morphology (long fibers rather than plates), and orientation (along the optical c-axis) transmit more light than many other possible designs. Heart cockle shell windows are thus: (i) the first instance of fiber optic cable bundles in an organism to our knowledge; (ii) a second evolution, with epidermal cells in angiosperm plants, of condensing lenses for photosynthesis; and (iii) a photonic system that efficiently transmits useful light while protecting photosymbionts from UV radiation.

Nanotechnology in Cosmetics: An Overview

Nanotechnology is revolutionizing the treatment of skin diseases in cosmetics, offering safe and targeted delivery of active medications and cosmetic ingredients. The use of carrier systems in nanotechnology improves skin penetration and sustained drug action. Formulators are using technology exclusive to cosmetic products, such as vesicular, particulate systems, emulsions, nano capsules, nanotubes, nanocrystals, and dendrimers. Nanomaterials are also used in hair care products and nail formulations. Nanomaterials are used in modern cosmetic products, particularly in sunscreens due to their ability to protect the skin from harmful UV radiation which is carcinogenic. This review explores nanotechnologies in the cosmetic industry and their potential as next- generation smarter carrier systems. It highlights the advances in nano cosmeceuticals and the applications of nanotechnology in cosmetics. It also focuses on the regulations of nanotechnology in cosmetics and describes various routes of exposure to nano particles in the human body. Keywords: Nanotechnology, cosmetics, nanoparticles, regulations, advances

Nanofiberous composite with CuO-Ag0 supported on bamboo/lycra for protection against transmittable infectious diseases

The transmittable infectious diseases, detrimental environmental contaminants and harmful UV radiations remained constant threat to human civilization. Cold, pneumonia, tuberculosis bacteria, rubella virus, RSV and COVID19, then urban and industrial emissions, volcanic eruptions, pollen, aerosols on one hand and skin cancer, sunburn, premature ageing and skin tanning on the other hand are some of the examples of serious risks to health, safety and well-being. The WHO reported over 7million worldwide deaths due to hazardous air contaminants. Exploiting the tremendous features of nanofiberous structure and excellent microbiocidal properties of Ag0 and CuO nanoparticles, a sustainable and stable nanofiber based composite Bmb-nanoNP was developed. Utilization of biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic and environmental friendly polymers enabled the composite as sustainable source for protective clothing purposes. The microparticulate filtration of Bmb-nanoNP was 99.13 % and 96 % with and without air suction respectively. The microbiocidal affect against E. coli and S. aureus strains was excellent(5.9 % and 8.86 % cell viabilities respectively). Similarly, the Bmb-nanoNP showed calculated UV protection factor (UPF) of 7954 (50 + rating).These characteristics demonstrated potential candidacy of the Bmb-nanoNP composite for multi-functional safety clothing applications.

Cinnamon and Eucalyptus Extracts: A Promising Natural Approach for Durable Mosquito-Repellent Fabrics with Multifunctionality.

Mosquitoes are highly important carriers of diseases, such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and various other life-threatening illnesses. Traditionally, many chemicals, such as plant extracts, oils, and smoke, have been employed for the purpose of repelling mosquitoes. Various plants possess essential oils and chemicals that have been proven to be good insect repellents and are commonly regarded as weeds. The present study focused on the development of eco-friendly, nonhazardous mosquito-repellent fabrics using cinnamon and eucalyptus extracts. First, eucalyptus and cinnamon extracts were produced separately using ethanol and water as solvents with and without heating. Forty-eight different fabric samples were prepared by applying these extracts at three levels of process application temperature. A steam dye bath sampling machine was utilized to execute the extraction application process on fabric samples. The mosquito repellency performances of all of the samples were evaluated using the cage test method. The cage test revealed that all of the samples of eucalyptus and cinnamon extract-applied fabrics showed mosquito repellency performance at some level. However, the fabric samples treated with the heated extract of eucalyptus ethanol (EE-H) at 60 °C showed the best results in terms of mosquito repellency (85.56%) among all combinations. In addition to repellency, the impact of washing durability, UV shielding, and antibacterial performance was also evaluated. This research demonstrated a new method for creating a fabric that repels mosquitoes and has effective antibacterial properties as well as promising ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating. This fabric protects the wearer from the significant health risks posed by mosquitoes and harmful UV radiation while also maintaining its cleanliness. Moreover, the utilization and implementation of plant-derived coatings on textiles contribute to the advancement of sustainable methods (SDG 9 and SDG 12) in the chemical processing industry of textiles, ultimately leading to a reduction in their environmental footprint.

Predicting the acute aquatic toxicity of organic UV filters used in cosmetic formulations.

Organic UV filters are commonly used in sunscreen and cosmetic formulations to protect against harmful UV radiation. However, concerns have emerged over their potential toxic effects on aquatic organisms. This study aims to investigate the acute aquatic toxicity of 13 organic UV filters and determine whether phospholipid binding, measured through biomimetic chromatographic methods, is a better predictor of toxicity than the traditionally used octanol-water partition coefficient (log P). The chromatographic retention of the 13 UV filters was measured on an immobilized artificial membrane (IAM) stationary phase to assess phospholipid binding. These measurements were then applied to previously established predictive models, originally developed for pharmaceutical compounds, to estimate acute aquatic toxicity endpoints of 48-hour LC50 for fish and the 48-hour EC50 (immobilization) for Daphnia magna. Phospholipid binding was found to be a more reliable predictor of the acute aquatic toxicity of UV filters compared to log P. The toxicity was primarily driven by lipophilicity and charge, with negatively charged compounds exhibiting lower toxicity. The study demonstrates that phospholipid binding is a better descriptor of UV filter toxicity than log P, providing a more accurate method for predicting the environmental risk of these compounds. This insight can guide the development of more environmentally friendly sunscreens by reducing the use of highly lipophilic and positively charged compounds, thus lowering their aquatic toxicity.

Green Nanoengineered Fabrics: Waste-Derived Polyphenol-Zinc@ Silica Core-Shell Reactive Janus Nanoparticles for Functional Fabrics.

Fabricating Janus nanoparticle-functionalized fabrics with UV protection, strength enhancement, self-cleaning properties, and wash durability, with a biocompatible nature, is crucial in modern functional fabrics engineering. Particularly, tailoring multifunctional nanoparticles capable of exhibiting several distinct properties, utilizing low-cost raw materials, and adhering to green chemistry principles is pivotal. A fabrication strategy for developing multifunctional reactive Janus nanoparticles, utilizing waste-derived natural polyphenol (quercetin-3-glucuronide, myricetin-3-galactoside, gossypin, phlorizin, kaempferol, myricetin-3-arabinoside)-integrated zinc-silica core-shell Janus nanoparticles with UV protection, strength enhancement, and self-cleaning properties, is proposed. Polyphenols were utilized as sustainable precursors for synthesizing zinc-polyphenol complexes, which were then encapsulated within a silica shell to form a core-shell structure. Furthermore, Janus particles were created by introducing a bifunctional layer with half amine/carboxylic acid and half methyl terminals, imparting reactive hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. Janus-coated textiles and leather exhibited significant attenuation of harmful UV radiation, with water contact angle measurements confirming improved water repellency. The coexistence of natural phenols and bifunctional groups within a material bolstered textile strength, fostering superior adhesion and markedly enhancing wash durability. This eco-friendly approach, utilizing waste-derived materials, presents a promising solution for sustainable textile engineering with enhanced performance in UV protection and water resistance, thereby contributing to the advancement of green nanotechnology in textile applications.

Combined use of versatile peroxidase and aryl alcohol oxidase of Pleurotus eryngii to decolorize melanin on the skin

Melanin plays an important role in protecting skin cells from harmful UV radiation, but its uneven pigmentation in the skin sometimes demands cosmetic resolution. As a safe and effective way of evening the skin tone, enzymatic decolorization of melanin at the stratum corneum has been proposed. In this regard, the use of lignin peroxidase, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and veratryl alcohol, an electron mediator, has been explored. Here, we first show that versatile peroxidase (VP) and aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO) purified from the Pleurotus eryngii liquid culture can be used to decolorize melanin without exogenous hydrogen peroxide. This resembles the oxidative degradation pathway of lignin in nature; AAO generates hydrogen peroxide from veratryl alcohol, and VP utilizes generated hydrogen peroxide while using veratryl alcohol as a mediator. We further explored the use of POX_Pe, the crude peroxidase preparation of the Pleurotus eryngii liquid culture, for melanin decolorization because of its better stability. Using POX_Pe and veratryl alcohol, over 60 % of melanin decolorization was obtained in 1 h in the absence of exogenous hydrogen peroxide addition. Furthermore, POX_Pe could decolorize melanin in a 3D human pigmented epidermis model, demonstrating its possible applications in cosmetics.

Ultrafast Spectroelectrochemistry of the Catechol/o‐Quinone Redox Couple in Aqueous Buffer Solution

AbstractEumelanin is a natural pigment found in many organisms that provides photoprotection from harmful UV radiation. As a redox‐active biopolymer, the structure of eumelanin is thought to contain different redox states of quinone, including catechol subunits. To further explore the excited state properties of eumelanin, we have investigated the catechol/o‐quinone redox couple by spectroelectrochemical means, in a pH 7.4 aqueous buffered solution, and using a boron doped diamond mesh electrode. At pH 7.4, the two proton, two electron oxidation of catechol is promoted, which facilitates continuous formation of the unstable o‐quinone product in solution. Ultrafast transient absorption (femtosecond to nanosecond) measurements of o‐quinone species involve initial formation of an excited singlet state followed by triplet state formation within 24 ps. In contrast, catechol in aqueous buffer leads to formation of the semiquinone radical Δt>500 ps. Our results demonstrate the rich photochemistry of the catechol/o‐quinone redox couple and provides further insight into the excited state processes of these key building blocks of eumelanin.

Ecological dyeing and UV-protective functionalization of cotton/lyocell blend fabrics designed for high comfort summer clothing

Wearing clothes that absorb or block harmful UV radiation is one of the most effective forms of protection against sun damage and skin cancer. In the current study, sustainable processes which will provide high clothing comfort and a sufficient level of UV protection for fabrics used in production of lightweight sun-protective summer clothing were proposed. In accordance with the scope of the study, structural properties, low-stress mechanical properties, surface characteristics, permeability, and UV-protection properties of three woven fabrics produced with different weft settings and lyocell ratios were determined. The fabric type which had the most desirable results was selected for dyeing experiments. Avocado (Persea americana) seed was used as an eco-friendly source for dyeing and UV-protective functionalization of cotton/lyocell blend fabric. To obtain different hues, the fabrics were mordanted according to two different recipes using magnesium sulphate and ferrous sulphate and dyed with the natural colorant extracted from avocado seeds. Comfort, color, fastness, and UV-protective properties of dyed samples were evaluated by laboratory tests. Results indicated that it is possible to achieve an excellent level of UV protection (UPF 50+) by dyeing cotton/lyocell blend fabrics with avocado seed extract and produce summer clothing with improved comfort and UV-protective properties, without using any toxic materials.

UV arrows descend from above: lessons from a mass media campaign to improve sun protection behaviours among young adults.

More than 95% of melanomas in Australia are caused by UV radiation from the sun. Young adults are particularly at risk, with 18-24-year-olds spending more time in the sun and protecting their skin less than older adults. A new mass media campaign was delivered in New South Wales, Australia, to motivate this hard-to-reach group to protect their skin from harmful UV radiation. This paper shares learnings from this campaign for public health educators working across diverse fields. Guided by audience research and testing, the campaign combined fear-based and self-efficacy messaging. UV radiation was portrayed as arrows descending from the sky, transforming it into a visible and ever-present threat. High-reach channels such as cinema, outdoor advertising, online videos, audio apps and social media were used to reach the audience. The campaign was evaluated through an online tracking survey (n = 750, 18-24-year-olds) measuring prompted recognition, message take-out, key diagnostics, and self-reported sun protection intentions and behaviours. The evaluation found that 57% of survey participants recognised the campaign when prompted. Among those that recognised the campaign, 76% said they had used sun protection when outdoors over the summer campaign period (vs 64% of non-recognisers, p < 0.05), and 45% said they had adopted at least three of the five sun protection behaviours (Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide) 'always' or 'often' (vs. 36% of non-recognisers, p < 0.05). A mass-media campaign that aimed to elicit emotional (fear) and cognitive (perceived efficacy) responses and which drew upon social and heuristic cues was associated with greater self-reported sun protection among the target audience. Delivering a combination of message strategies simultaneously within a campaign tailored to young adults may be more effective than adopting a more singular focus.

Characterization of C30 carotenoid and identification of its biosynthetic gene cluster in Methylobacterium extorquens AM1

Methylobacterium species, the representative bacteria distributed in phyllosphere region of plants, often synthesize carotenoids to resist harmful UV radiations. Methylobacterium extorquens is known to produce a carotenoid pigment and recent research revealed that this carotenoid has a C30 backbone. However, its exact structure remains unknown. In the present study, the carotenoid produced by M. extorquens AM1 was isolated and its structure was determined as 4-[2-O-11Z-octadecenoyl-β-glucopyranosyl]-4,4′-diapolycopenedioc acid (1), a glycosylated C30 carotenoid. Furthermore, the genes related to the C30 carotenoid synthesis were investigated. Squalene, the precursor of the C30 carotenoid, is synthesized by the co-occurrence of META1p1815, META1p1816 and META1p1817. Further overexpression of the genes related to squalene synthesis improved the titer of carotenoid 1. By using gene deletion and gene complementation experiments, the glycosyltransferase META1p3663 and acyltransferase META1p3664 were firstly confirmed to catalyze the tailoring steps from 4,4′-diapolycopene-4,4′-dioic acid to carotenoid 1. In conclusion, the structure and biosynthetic genes of carotenoid 1 produced by M. extorquens AM1 were firstly characterized in this work, which shed lights on engineering M. extorquens AM1 for producing carotenoid 1 in high yield.

Oxygen in the Earth System

Atmospheric oxygen is produced and consumed by life on Earth, and the ozone layer protects life on Earth from harmful solar UV radiation. The research on oxygen in the Earth system is of interest to many different geoscientific communities, from paleoclimatology to aeronomy. I provide a brief overview of the research activities and their motivations. In situ measurements and remote sensing of atmospheric oxygen are described. The global evolution, distribution, and trends of atmospheric oxygen are discussed.

Prominent Roles and Conflicted Attitudes of Eumelanin in the Living World.

Eumelanin, a macromolecule widespread in all the living world and long appreciated for its protective action against harmful UV radiation, is considered the beneficial component of the melanin family (ευ means good in ancient Greek). This initially limited picture has been rather recently extended and now includes a variety of key functions performed by eumelanin in order to support life also under extreme conditions. A lot of still unexplained aspects characterize this molecule that, in an evolutionary context, survived natural selection. This paper aims to emphasize the unique characteristics and the consequent unusual behaviors of a molecule that still holds the main chemical/physical features detected in fossils dating to the late Carboniferous. In this context, attention is drawn to the duality of roles played by eumelanin, which occasionally reverses its functional processes, switching from an anti-oxidant to a pro-oxidant behavior and implementing therefore harmful effects.

Cotton functionalized with polyethylene glycol and graphene oxide for dual thermoregulating and UV-protection applications

A thermoregulating smart textile based on phase change material (PCM) polyethylene glycol (PEG) was prepared by chemically grafting carboxyl-terminated PEG onto cotton. Further deposits of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were made on the PEG grafted cotton (PEG-g-Cotton) to improve the thermal conductivity of the fabric and to block harmful UV radiation. The GO-PEG-g-Cotton was characterized by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). With an enthalpy of 37 and 36 J/g, respectively, the DSC data revealed that the functionalized cotton's melting and crystallization maxima occurred at 58 °C and 40 °C, respectively. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) presented that GO-PEG-g-Cotton was thermally more stable in comparison to pure cotton. The thermal conductivity of PEG-g-Cotton increased to 0.52 W/m K after GO deposition, while pure cotton conductivity was measured as 0.045 W/m K. The improvement in the UV protection factor (UPF) of GO-PEG-g-Cotton was observed indicating excellent UV blocking. This temperature-regulating smart cotton offers a high thermal energy storage capability, better thermal conductivity, thermal stability, and excellent UV protection.

Effect of microwave power on bactericidal and UV protection properties of the ZnO nanorods grown cotton fabrics

In this present work, vertically oriented ZnO nanorods (NRs) were grown at various microwave radiations (300 W, 360 W, 450 W, 540 W) through a fast and low cost microwave hydrothermal method. The effect of microwave power on the bactericidal, UV protection and thermal properties of cotton fabrics has been studied. The morphology of the ZnO NRs was investigated in detail using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The topography of the cotton fabrics was observed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM). ZnO NRs-grown cotton fabrics were characterized via energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that the microwave power influenced the shape and size of the synthesized ZnO NRs. It was found that the length and diameter of the ZnO NRs increased with increasing microwave power. The ZnO NRs-grown at 450 W and 540 W exhibited 100 % ability to kill and prevent growth against both types of Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria. The coated cotton fabrics also showed excellent UV protection performance against harmful UV radiations. The maximum UV blocking was observed in the case of NRs-grown fabric at 540 W, where UV transmittance decreased from 26.6 % of untreated fabric to 4.0 % of coated fabric. Moreover, the presence of uniform layer of ZnO NRs on the fiber surface contributed to the enhancement of thermal stability of the cotton fabrics. The current methodology is faster, simple and cost effective compared with conventional method for the synthesis of ZnO NRs.

Cellulose Acetate polymer spectroscopic study comprised LaFeO3 perovskite and graphene as a UV-to-visible light converter used in several applications

A simple and fast method was used to synthesize cellulose acetate (CA), CA/LaFeO3, CA/graphene (G) and CA/LaFeO3/G nanocomposite films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) illustrates that all films have a broad peak at 2θ = 22.63° corresponding to the amorphous CA polymer. The Raman spectra of nanocomposite films show a strong band at 3075 cm−1 characteristics of asymmetric CH2 vibrations of CA and its intensity decreased in the case of G nanofiller due to the reaction between the CA polymer and nanoparticles. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) shows the porous nature of the smooth surface morphology of CA film with an average diameter of 2.23 µm. The addition of LaFeO3 and G to CA film has good distribution. The UV spectra of the prepared films revealed a broad absorption band ranging from 208 to 300 nm, corresponding to the carbonyl group in the CA polymer. The optical properties of the films show a direct transition with an optical band gap ranging from 3.9 to 4.2 eV. All the investigated samples converted harmful UV radiation into red light, but the CA/G film sample had the highest conversion efficiency, making it useful in a variety of applications.

2‐Hydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone [Lawsone] integrated rare‐earth hybrid materials as biocompatible UV/IR filter agents

AbstractUV filter agents are essential ingredients in cosmetics and fabrics for rendering the property of protection from harmful UV radiation. The focus of this research was on the development of biocompatible hybrid UV/IR filter agents through sol–gel processing of nano‐sized lanthanum titanate, zirconate, and phosphate‐based rare‐earth materials. 2‐Hydroxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone (Lawsone) is an ideal candidate, owing to its biocompatibility, for treating the sol of the rare‐earth systems to produce inorganic‐organic hybrids with classical orange shades. The rare‐earth hybrids were characterized by X‐Ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV‐Vis, photo‐luminescence, and Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The results of characterization indicated that the hybrids offer &gt;90% of NIR reflectance in the wavelength region from 700 to 1100 nm. They also exhibited excellent shielding in UV‐A and UV‐B regions, thus qualifying them as cool colors with useful optical as well as heat management characteristics. The sun protection factor calculated by optical density measurements showed that the synthesized hybrids have potential applications as UV filter agents in sunscreen lotions. The cell viability analyzed by the MTT (4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)−2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay affirmed the biocompatibility of the hybrids as none of the systems was found cytotoxic. This study was devoted to exploring the beneficial properties of rare‐earth‐based hybrid systems in pharmacological applications.

Photoinduced production of substances with humic-like fluorescence, upon irradiation of water samples from alpine lakes

Evidence is here provided that irradiation of some lake water samples can trigger the formation of fluorophores with humic-like properties, at the same time increasing water absorbance. This phenomenon is the opposite of photobleaching, which is often observed when natural waters are irradiated. The photoproduced humic-like fluorophores observed here would be of autochthonous rather than allochthonous origin, which marks a difference with the fraction of humic substances that derives from terrestrial sources. Photogeneration of humic-like compounds can be highlighted in water samples where the fluorescence signal of initially occurring humic substances is low, so that their photobleaching is minimised. Samples that are most likely to show photoinduced formation of humic-like fluorophores are in fact characterised by high values of protein-like vs. humic-like contribution ratios to fluorescence, as evidenced by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Mountain lakes in late summer appear to be suitable candidates to highlight the described phenomenon. In some cases, lake-water irradiation caused a decrease in the spectral slope of the absorbance that, together with increasing absorbance values, is consistent with an increase in molecular mass and aromaticity of organic matter. The absorbance increase triggered by irradiation might play a role in screening biologically harmful UV radiation, in mountain environments that would otherwise be characterised by very clear water that allows for easy transmission of UV light along the water column.

Development of a paper-based wearable UV photo-detector device using ZnO nanostructure

We depict an exceedingly low-cost and flexible photodetector in this work employing ZnO nanostructures grown on Whatman filter paper as the substrate and pencil-drawn graphite as the electrodes with a gap of 1 mm between the electrodes. A semi-non-aqueous solution containing Zinc acetate ((CH3COO)2Zn·2H2O) is used to deposit ZnO thin film on paper. The graphite/ZnO/graphite device shows a noticeable increase in the photo-current under UV (253 nm) light of the intensities in the range from 6 to 100 µW/cm2 with a higher Ip/Id ratio of 7800 at 30 V. This device shows higher responsivity of 1.94 A/W for the lowest incident intensity of UV light (6 µW/cm2). The best rise (tr) and decay time (td) for this photodetector was ∼ 13 ms. Based on the results and the non-toxic/hazardous nature of the substrate, this device shows promising UV photodetection performance under ambient conditions and is found suitable for wearable devices to protect humans from getting exposed to harmful UV radiation.

Metallic Nanoparticles Applications in Cosmetology: A Comprehensive Review

Metal nanoparticles have revolutionized the beauty industry by offering antimicrobial properties, enhanced product performance, improved texture, and targeted delivery of active ingredients. These nanoparticles exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and offer potential in wound healing, acne treatment, and skin whitening and anti-aging formulations. Gold nanoparticles have gained attention in skin whitening and anti-aging formulations due to their unique optical properties. Metal nanoparticles also provide photoprotection in sunscreens and other photoprotective products by absorbing or scattering harmful UV radiation. However, safety concerns, long-term effects, skin penetration, accumulation, and systemic toxicity require further evaluation. Future research should focus on optimizing formulations, understanding efficacy and mechanisms of action, and addressing safety concerns to unlock the full potential of metal nanoparticles in cosmetology.