Introduction

The harmful effects of UV radiation exposure to human skin and health are well established. This has led to the development of sunscreen products containing active UV filters that offer photoprotection against the effects of over-exposure to UV radiation. Even though both inorganic and organic UV filters are widely employed in sunscreen formulations in the market, inorganic UV filters, having a wide UV absorption range, capacity for broad-spectrum UV protection, high photostability, and good skin compatibility, are often favoured for use. This chapter provides a brief introduction to inorganic UV filters used in sunscreens for photoprotection applications, discusses the rationale and aims of this book, and presents the different aspects of inorganic UV filter that will be covered and expanded upon in the book.