Why are Mineral/Physical sunscreens better than Chemical sunscreen?
Sunscreen jargon could really cloud up our choice to pick the right sunscreen. It is personal and significant for your skin health though. Not to exaggerate but the right sunscreen can transform your skin. There are three types of sunscreen- Chemical, Mineral/Physical, and Hybrid. A Physical sunscreen can also be called a Mineral sunscreen. One of the biggest hurdles in picking a sunscreen is to decide if Physical or Chemical sunscreen is the right choice. Well, we have some pointers for you and an opinion which will make sense to you when you go on the next sunscreen shopping spree. Read up here!
1. How to spot a Physical and Chemical sunscreen?
Let’s help you in understanding how to know the sunscreen through the ingredient list. It’s pretty easy. When you pick a Physical sunscreen then you will read the following words in the ingredient list-
- Zinc oxide
- Titanium oxide
Both are deemed to be safe for usage in the books of the FDA. If you have picked a Chemical sunscreen then you will find the following names in the ingredient list-
- Avobenzone
- Octisalate
- Oxybenzone
- Homosalate
These are just a few of the popular Chemical filters. You must further note that two of the chemical filters called aminobenzoic acid and trolamine salicylate are banned by FDA.
A Hybrid sunscreen is a mix of both types of sunrays filters. Interesting, right? Let’s understand the difference between the two types a little more!
2.What is the difference between Mineral/Physical and Chemical sunscreen?
The significant difference between Physical and Chemical sunscreen is the way it protects your skin. Physical sunscreen is more like a shield that reflects sun rays and Chemical sunscreen is like a sponge. It will absorb the sun's rays.
The other difference is that Physical sunscreen settles on your skin while Chemical sunscreen can penetrate your skin.
When it comes to functioning, Physical sunscreen does not need waiting time to be activated. Just slather it and move out. With Chemical sunscreen, you need to wait for 20 minutes after application to activate.
But then Physical sunscreen does leave a white cast, unlike Chemical sunscreen. We don’t want to bore you with more differences but these are some key differences that every smart human must know. Let’s dig into what you must apply- Physical or Chemical sunscreen!
3.What should you use- Mineral/Physical or Chemical sunscreen?
It depends on your skin type. But if you want to know what suits just about anybody including babies is a Physical sunscreen. Why? Many reasons and let us put this in bullets for you-
- Chemical sunscreen has been found to enter the bloodstream and stay for about 3 weeks. Don’t come at us, science has proved Is that harmful? That is yet to be studied but then why would you want something to enter your bloodstream when you have Physical sunscreen to save your skin that won’t even enter your bloodstream!
- Another point where Physical sunscreen wins is that Chemical sunscreen can potentially irritate your skin since it is absorbed by your skin instead of settling on your pores. On the other hand, Physical sunscreen has Zinc oxide which has anti-inflammatory properties too. This is the reason why it is also used in baby diapers.
Sure, looking like a white ghost is a reasonable argument to avoid Physical sunscreen, but we have also managed to push away that hurdle. How? Ta-da! Our sunscreen- Sunny side up is a Physical sunscreen that uses Zinc oxide to do the job of protecting your skin. It also has Tomato extracts and Niacinamide to brighten your skin, Citric Acid to exfoliate and Vitamin E to nourish. There is no better concoction for Physical sunscreen than this. For those who like to go minimalist in their AM skincare routine, this is all you need to slather to nourish, brighten and protect your skin!
4. Keynotes
Sunscreen is just non-negotiable for your skin. But then you’re spoiled with options and it becomes quite a task to pick just the right sunscreen for your skin. If you’re a no-fuss, chill personality then a Physical sunscreen like ours (Yep, we’re really proud of our formulation!) should work for all the skin types and the basic skin needs like nourishment and brightening will be taken care of.
Written by Divya Salvi
