Cephalopods (the group that includes octopuses and squids) are masters of disguise. They have fine-tuned mechanisms to adapt and change their pigments depending on their current needs. Sorry, chameleons, when it comes to pigments, no one does it better than cephalopods.

Northeastern University graduate Camille Martin and associate professor Leila Deravi thought they could use this. They aren’t looking to design a color-shifting cloak or anything like that. Instead, they’re working on something much more tangible — and much more important — sunscreen.

Sunscreen is one of our main defenses against the Sun’s harmful rays. Good quality sunscreen offers protection to the user, but oftentimes, this substance can be toxic.

“There’s a lot of toxicities involved with (traditional) UV filters in sunscreens,” says Deravi. “Some of the chemical UV-filters in particular are known to create reactive oxygen species that are not only bad for the environment but can also seep into our skin and cause systemic toxicities,” she says.

When you consider that a lot of sunscreen is used at the beach, and users typically also swim at the beach, the need to devise sunscreen that’s not harmful for sea creatures becomes all the more pressing. This isn’t just an academic concern, either, says Martin.

“The industry is really excited about new materials innovations,” Martin says. “Everything we do as a biotechnology company is centered around leveraging marine animals as a source of inspiration for the next generation of skin care ingredients.”

So they went out searching and they found something that may do the trick.

From squids to you

This secret ingredient is Xanthochrome. Xanthochrome is essentially the trade name of xanthommatin, a molecule found in the skin of cuttlefish, octopus and squid as well as in insects.

“We didn’t create a new molecule,” Martin says. “We were able to isolate and characterize the properties of the biomolecules found within cephalopods, engineer a bio-identical version of the naturally occurring material and position Xanthochrome as a new active ingredient that provides a wide range of skin care benefits. It’s a really interesting space where you have a single molecule that can have so many functions,” she says.

The pluripotent molecule is just what sunscreen would need. It has antioxidant properties that are good for human skin and it’s also biocompatible. This means it wouldn’t pollute the environment and harm marine wildlife like corals.

“The secret to the cephalopods’ unique coloration is derived from its multifunctional chemical compounds, which we identified in our lab at Northeastern,” Deravi says. “Camille’s Ph.D. work was the first to show that these small molecules inside cephalopod skin that contribute to camouflage in the animal also have really interesting antioxidant properties,” Deravi says.

“They’re free radical scavengers, which are very important for skin health and skin barrier function,” she says. And then they also have pretty important optical properties protecting against exposure to sunlight, which is the main function of some UV filters and sunscreens,” Deravi says.

Coming to the market soon

Xanthochrome is synthesized as a brown, textured powder. It’s mixed with zinc oxide, which the FDA considers a safe and effective ingredient in sunscreen. When combined with zinc oxide, Xanthochrome’s ultraviolet protection raises by 28% and it’s blocking of visible light increases by 45%.

The two researchers have published a new study in which they detail their latest findings and they’re already looking for partners to bring Xanthochrome into products. They see the molecule as a next-generation cosmetic product, akin to tinoids and hyaluronic acid.

“We’re creating products that can really be applied and adopted across a wide range of users,” Martin says. “We are creating something that is not only safe for all people, but also the environment.”

“You have to prove the new raw materials are safe for humans and also for the ocean, where ultimately every product is going to get washed into,” Deravi says.

Journal Reference: Leila F. Deravi et al, Using cephalopod‐inspired chemistry to extend long‐wavelength ultraviolet and visible light protection of mineral sunscreens, International Journal of Cosmetic Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/ics.12993