A Perspective on the Ultrafast Photochemistry of Solution-Phase Sunscreen Molecules

Sunscreens are one of the most common ways of providing on-demand additional photoprotection to the skin. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy has recently proven to be an invaluable tool in understanding how the components of commercial sunscreen products display efficient photoprotection. Important examples of how this technique has unravelled the photodynamics of common components are given in this Perspective, and some of the remaining unanswered questions are discussed.