Aveeno. Coppertone. Banana Boat. Hippopotamus sweat? A new form of SPF inspired by hippo sweat may one day hit the shelves.\nThe mucus secreted from hippopotamus' skin, often mistaken for leaching blood, contains red pigments that act as sunscreen by absorbing ultraviolet light. The substance also contains two liquid crystalline structures - one of which scatters light, and which strengthens the secretion's sun blocking properties.\nResearchers additionally discovered antimicrobial and antifungal properties in the sweat, adding to the potential future product's benefits and increasing its desirability. The secretion even acts as an insect repellent.\nSeveral factors, however, are keeping hippo sweat sunscreen off the shelves until additional research has been completed. One problem: When isolated from the hippopotamus, the mucus morphs into a brown, viscous substance that is not effective in comparison to the original ooze.\n-compiled by Lani Hossain
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