According to Google Trends, the number of searches for the term "blue light" has increased since 2004. 1 This indicates that concerns about blue light and attempts at obtaining protection from this potential threat have been on the rise. From computer filters-to makeup products and eye lenses, consumers are searching for the best items to protect themselves. 2 Makeup and skin care products with blue light claims have significantly grown by about 170% in 2020 and are expected to continue to grow as more scientific evidence is published about the effects of blue light. 3 2 | WHAT IS B LUE LI G HT ? Blue light is emitted visible light in wavelengths between 400 and 500 nm. 4 Blue light is generally referred to as high energy visible light as it is at the shortest wavelength, thus the highest energy, in the visible light spectrum (Figure 1). 5 This is not to get confused with the further classification as "low energy" or "high energy" within the 400 to 500 nm range. When at the higher end of the blue light range the light is known as low energy, while at the lower end it is known as high energy-yet blue light altogether is the highest in energy compared with the rest of the visible light spectrum. Also, as the name suggests, blue light is observed as blue. The main source of blue light is sunlight. Additional sources include digital screens, such as cellphones, computers, laptops, and TVs; light-emitting diodes

Chemotherapeutic drugs are primarily administered to cancer patients via oral or parenteral routes. The use of transdermal drug delivery could potentially be a better alternative to decrease the dose frequency and severity of adverse or toxic effects associated with oral or parenteral administration of chemotherapeutic drugs. The transdermal delivery of drugs has shown to be advantageous for the treatment of highly localized tumors in certain types of breast and skin cancers. In addition, the transdermal route can be used to deliver low-dose chemotherapeutics in a sustained manner. The transdermal route can also be utilized for vaccine design in cancer management, for example, vaccines against cervical cancer. However, the design of transdermal formulations may be challenging in terms of the conjugation chemistry of the molecules and the sustained and reproducible delivery of therapeutically efficacious doses. In this review, we discuss the nano-carrier systems, such as nanoparticles, liposomes, etc., used in recent literature to deliver chemotherapeutic agents. The advantages of transdermal route over oral and parenteral routes for popular chemotherapeutic drugs are summarized. Furthermore, we also discuss a possible in silico approach, Formulating for Efficacy™, to design transdermal formulations that would probably be economical, robust, and more efficacious.

Background: There are numerous cosmetic ingredients that have been identified to have blue light protection benefits. The urge to learn more about blue light protection claims has led to several substantiation test methods that can be utilized by companies to prove product efficacy. Aims: Part II of this article provides up-to-date information on cosmetic ingredients that can provide protection from blue light, and methods companies can use to substantiate blue light protection claims. Methods: An Internet search was completed using the Google Scholar database and a cosmetic ingredient supplier database (UL Prospector) for ingredients and relevant literature. Results: Multiple ingredient categories, for example, algae-derived ingredients, UV filters, botanical extracts, antioxidants, and vitamins, are available on the market to fight against blue light-induced skin damage. There is not a formal standardized method to test for blue light protection; however, spectrophotometers, imaging devices, measuring oxidative stress, and visual evaluations are some of the methods being used today. Conclusions: The number of ingredients launched for blue light protection and new methods developed to test products for blue light protection claims is expected to increase in the near future as we are learning more about the mechanism of damage that occurs in the skin upon blue light exposure.

Sun exposure can affect the skin in various ways leading to short- and long-term consequences. Waxes are often used to optimize the rheological behavior of products and provide an even sunscreen film on the skin, which can boost the sun protection factor (SPF) of ultraviolet (UV) filters. In this study, a biobased wax, alkenones, sourced from commercially available and sustainable microalgae was evaluated as an SPF booster in sunscreens. Thirty-five sunscreens were formulated using three waxes and four organic liquid UV filters. Products were tested for pH, viscosity, spreadability, stability, as well as in vitro SPF and water resistance. Alkenones’ in vitro SPF boosting capacity was similar to beeswax and cetyl alcohol with three “reef-safe” UV filters. None of the waxes used provided significant water resistance, however, using film-former water resistance could be built into the products. A key finding is that alkenones increased the in vitro SPF without increasing apparent viscosity. All products had a skin-compatible pH and they all remained stable at 25 °C for 10 weeks. Overall, the alkenones’ performance was comparable to those of the comparator waxes. Our in vitro results indicate that alkenones offer a sustainable, biobased, non-animal derived choice as an SPF booster for organic sunscreens.

A novel series of 4-anilinoquinazoline analogues, DW (1–10), were evaluated for anticancer efficacy in human breast cancer (BT-20) and human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines (HCT116, HT29, and SW620). The compound, DW-8, had the highest anticancer efficacy and selectivity in the colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT116, HT29, and SW620, with IC50 values of 8.50 ± 2.53 µM, 5.80 ± 0.92 µM, and 6.15 ± 0.37 µM, respectively, compared to the non-cancerous colon cell line, CRL1459, with an IC50 of 14.05 ± 0.37 µM. The selectivity index of DW-8 was >2-fold in colon cancer cells incubated with vehicle. We further determined the mechanisms of cell death induced by DW-8 in SW620 CRC cancer cells. DW-8 (10 and 30 µM) induced apoptosis by (1) producing cell cycle arrest at the G2 phase; (2) activating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, as indicated by the activation of caspase-9 and the executioner caspases-3 and 7; (3) nuclear fragmentation and (4) increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Overall, our results suggest that DW-8 may represent a suitable lead for developing novel compounds to treat CRC.