Herbal Sunscreens in the Era of Green Cosmeceuticals: Reviewing the Role of Polyphenols

The rising consumer demand for environmentally friendly and skin-safe photoprotective products has catalysed research into plant-derived sunscreens. Polyphenols, a large class of plant secondary metabolites including flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and tannins, possess UV-absorbing, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and DNA-protective activities that make them promising cosmeceutical ingredients. This review synthesizes current evidence on the mechanisms by which polyphenols confer photoprotection, evaluates formulation strategies and analytical approaches for herbal sunscreens, discusses safety and regulatory considerations, and identifies gaps and future directions for translating polyphenolic actives into effective, standardized, and scalable green sunscreens.