Natural products have been used to protect the skin from harmful UV radiation for decades. Due to the ecotoxicological implications of synthetic sunscreen exposure in aquatic ecosystems, there is a greater need to explore alternative sources of UV filters. Recent research has focused on discovering novel UV absorbing photoprotective molecules from nature. In response to the excessive damage caused by UVB rays, plants induce the production of high concentrations of phytoprotective secondary metabolites and anti-oxidative enzymes. Despite promising UV absorbing and photoprotective properties, plant secondary metabolites have been underutilized in topical delivery due to low solubility and high instability. Numerous phytochemicals have been effectively nanosized, incorporated in formulations, and studied for their sustained effects in photoprotection. The present review outlines recent developments in nanosizing and delivering photoprotective crude plant extract and phytochemicals from a phytochemical perspective. We searched for articles using keywords: “UV damage,” “skin photoprotection,” “photodamage,” and “nano delivery” in varied combinations. We identified and reviewed literature from 43 original research articles exploring nanosized phytochemicals and crude plant extracts with photoprotective activity. Nanosized phytochemicals retained higher amounts of bioactive compounds in the skin and acted as depots for their sustained release. Novel approaches in nanosizing considerably improved the photostability, efficacy, and water resistance of plant secondary metabolites. We further discuss the need for broad-spectrum sunscreen products, potential challenges, and future growth in this area.

几十年来，天然产品一直被用来保护皮肤免受有害的紫外线辐射。由于合成防晒霜在水生生态系统中的生态毒理学影响，因此更需要探索紫外线过滤剂的替代来源。最近的研究集中在从自然界中发现新的紫外线吸收光保护分子。为了应对 UVB 射线造成的过度损害，植物诱导产生高浓度的植物保护性次生代谢物和抗氧化酶。尽管具有良好的紫外线吸收和光保护特性，但由于溶解度低和不稳定性高，植物次生代谢物在局部给药中并未得到充分利用。许多植物化学物质已被有效地纳米化，掺入配方中，并研究了它们在光保护方面的持续作用。本综述从植物化学的角度概述了纳米化和提供光保护植物粗提物和植物化学物质的最新进展。我们使用关键词“紫外线损伤”、“皮肤光保护”、“光损伤”和“纳米传递”以各种组合方式搜索文章。我们从 43 篇原创研究文章中识别并回顾了文献，这些文章探索了具有光保护活性的纳米级植物化学物质和粗植物提取物。纳米级植物化学物质在皮肤中保留了更多的生物活性化合物，并作为其持续释放的储存库。纳米化的新方法显着提高了植物次生代谢物的光稳定性、功效和耐水性。我们进一步讨论了广谱防晒产品的需求、潜在挑战以及该领域的未来增长。