What’s that one thing you’d never forget in a beach vacation? That’s right, it’s sunscreen which feels like second nature to us to serve as an armor against the sun. But did you know that the lotion you just applied to your body is a threat to the sea that we swim in? Every year, there are an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen washed into the coral reefs, which releases chemicals to bleach, deform, and kill the marine life.
For years, beachgoers and divers have been caught in an ethical bind: how do you protect your skin without harming the very reefs you came to admire? The term “reef-safe” has become a buzzword on sunscreen bottles, but the truth is more complicated. Even so-called mineral sunscreens, often touted as eco-friendly, can release nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that still stress marine ecosystems.
But there’s actually a proposed solution by material scientists from Nanyang Technological University with the help of pollen, nature’s own UV shield. Through harnessing this 470-million-year-old biopolymer, which helped some plants to survive harsh conditions on land, researchers created a sunscreen. It’s not your typical sunscreen as it’s reef safe but cooling, which can protect both our skin and the marine life.
Way before humans ever came up with sunblock, plants had already created it. That’s the magic of sporopollenin, which is a nearly indestructible biopolymer that forms the outer shell of pollen and spores. It’s often described to be “the diamond of the plant world,” because of its toughness that can withstand pressures up to 10 gigapascals, meaning 100 times stronger than a car tire rubber.
How so? Well, when plants first emerged from the ocean about 470 million years ago, sporopollenin played the role of a shield against UV radiation and extreme heat. For many years, scientists were mystified by its unusual durability as it resisted all attempts at chemical breakdown. It’s only recently that researchers have understood its molecular structure and potential applications.
From Flower to Formula
The creation was led by Professor Cho Nam-Joon, President’s Chair in Materials Science and Engineering at NTU Singapore. Since they know that pollen is naturally UV-resistant, they aim to develop a way that easily process pollen grains in a gel-like form to apply to human skin.
Eventually, they found a way to transform camellia pollen into a safe and transparent sunscreen ingredient. They started with cleaning the pollen to remove all allergens and leave behind a pure shell of sporopollenin. After, they made use of a water-based method to turn the pollen shells into a biodegradable microgel that will blend smoothly on the skin. The result? A seemingly magical, clear, and lightweight lotion that is said to block 97% of UV rays (SPF 30). It’s as effective as your usual commercial sunscreen while keeping your skin up to 5°C cooler.
But unlike that sunscreen on your vanity that traps heat and causes stickiness, this pollen-based version cools the skin by reflecting infrared radiation. But there’s still a long way to go as its performance in the lab was only half the battle. The real test was whether it could solve the problem that its predecessors created in the ocean.
A Solution to a Toxic Problem
Everything that you dip in the sea will leave a chemical trace. Traditional sunscreens rely on ingredients of oxybenzone and octinoxate, which disrupt coral reproduction and damage marine DNA. Because of this, it led to regions like Hawaii and Palau banning certain sunscreen formulas from their beaches entirely.
In contrast to this, the NTU team’s coral studies revealed that those corals exposed to pollen sunscreen showed no signs of bleaching or death after 60 days. Meanwhile, those exposed to commercial sunscreens died in less than a week. By removing this toxin, pollen-based sunscreen can offer a much immediate way to reduce the harm to the environment while maintaining protection and comfort to humans as well.
From a dermatological standpoint, experts say the product offers benefits that extend beyond sun protection. Associate Professor Andrew Tan Nguan Soon, an expert in dermatological diseases from NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), explained that beyond its eco-friendly credentials and UV-blocking performance, the pollen-based sunscreen also cools the skin. It’s a feature not typically found in commercial sunscreens. He further noted that this natural cooling mechanism not only improves comfort but may also promote healthier skin under prolonged sun exposure.
Meanwhile, Associate Professor Patrick Martin, an ocean biogeochemist from NTU’s Asian School of the Environment, said that many types of chemical pollutants, including sunscreens, enter the ocean each year, and marine life can be highly sensitive to them. He acknowledged that while lab studies often use higher concentrations of sunscreen chemicals than what’s typically found in open waters, the effort to reduce chemical pollution is still vital.
The Future of Sustainable Materials
From shielding the first plants on land to protecting swimmers under the sun, pollen’s journey has come full circle. What began as an ancient survival mechanism has become a symbol of innovation. It’s proof that sometimes the most advanced technologies are not invented, but rediscovered in nature’s own design.
Looking at the market, the global reef-safe sunscreen is projected to reach around $4.38 billion by 2034. It’s a future where we can see the consumer’s demand for products that protect not only their skin, but the sea. But for NTU, it’s beyond the skincare as this is a movement for them towards bio-inspired materials, which refers to technologies that learn from nature to provide modern solutions.
Other examples we can see are Stanford’s bacteriophage-based coatings that use viruses to build sustainable plastics. There’s also MIT’s silk-based sensors that are inspired by spider silk. Truly, science is evolving to replace harmful chemicals with natural ingredients that are good for people and the environment. It’s not surprising to see another innovation soon enough, or this idea of a sunscreen hitting the shelves of your local stores, which was the dream when NTU created this revolutionary sunscreen.