Next-Generation UV Filters and Delivery Systems: Safety, Photostability, and Environmental Sustainability

Sunscreens are essential for protecting the skin against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation; however, conventional UV filters may exhibit limited photostability, skin penetration, and environmental concerns. Next-generation photoprotective systems, including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, nanoemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, and cyclodextrin-based systems, have shown improved photostability, improved skin retention, and reduced undesired permeation while maintaining photoprotective efficacy. Advanced formulations have shown encapsulation efficiencies of approximately 60–99% and improvements in SPF compared with corresponding free-filter formulations. In addition, chemical strategies such as glycosylation can modify the physicochemical properties, formulation compatibility, and stability of hydrophobic or bioactive photoprotective compounds, although their large-scale application remains limited by synthetic complexity and scalability. This review emphasizes recent literature published between 2020 and 2026 while incorporating selected earlier foundational studies where necessary to provide mechanistic and historical context. Particular emphasis is placed on the balance between photoprotective efficacy, dermal retention, systemic exposure, environmental safety, and translational feasibility. Overall, next-generation sunscreen technologies offer promising strategies for developing safer and more sustainable photoprotection, but standardized safety assessment, scalable manufacturing, and regulatory harmonization remain essential for successful translation.