A lotion containing antioxidants from tea looks promising in protecting from non-melanoma skin cancer.

Both black and green tea contain powerful antioxidants in the form of polyphenols. These compounds are now being put to work by chemists at the University of Minnesota. They have created a cream which protects lab mice from non-melanoma skin cancer.

The polyphenol ingredients reduce levels of an enzyme called JNK-2, which become elevated after sun exposure. JNK-2 can trigger a skin cancer, but if its levels are brought down, the danger decreases. Further research is now needed to see if polyphenol cream, applied after sun exposure, can also protect against the more deadly melanoma skin cancer. Applying polyphenols as a cream allows them to be delivered to the body in a more concentrated form than from tea drinking.

Source

American Chemical Society Meeting 8th September 2003