Development of a sustainable sunscreen formulation using mica minerals and second-generation biosurfactant.

• Grant number: 25/00873-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Silvio Silvério da Silva
• Grantee: Gabriel Eirinhas Alves dos Santos
• Supervisor: Ana Belen Moldes Menduiña
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade de Vigo, Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/09167-0 - Development of sustainable biodetergent formulation using second generation biosurfactants, BP.IC

Abstract

The market for sun care cosmetics, especially sunscreens, is growing and increasingly following sustainable trends. The search for simpler, more effective, and "green" formulations, combined with the high number of skin cancer cases resulting from exposure to UV radiation, has become a recurrent topic in both industrial and academic sectors. As an alternative to synthetic surfactants, which are associated with adverse effects when applied to the skin, such as allergies, biosurfactants offer high biodegradability, lower toxicity, and greater efficiency. Additionally, they can be synthesized using renewable raw materials, enabling the transformation of waste into high-value bioactive molecules. This project aims to evaluate sunscreen formulations prepared using mica minerals and biosurfactants produced by yeast. The objectives include formulating the sunscreen based on mica minerals and polymeric biosurfactants produced through a fermentation process using hemicellulosic hydrolysate from sugarcane bagasse, analyzing particle size and the composition of different types of mica, determining the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of the formulations, and conducting their respective colorimetric analyses. With these results, the project seeks to contribute to the development of an innovative, sustainable, simple, and efficient sunscreen product with desirable physicochemical characteristics for application in the cosmetics industry. This aligns with the concept of circular bioeconomy and presents significant benefits for both the environment and society.