Take sunscreen wherever you go. Courtesy of Flickr Commons.
Have you ever taken a look at the ingredients in your sunscreen? Two types of sunscreens exist: chemical and physical.
Physical sunscreens containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide block the UV rays starting from that layer of sunscreen. On the other hand, chemical sunscreens contain chemical UV filters that are absorbed into your skin, which then absorbs the UV rays and lets it back out of your body through converting it into heat.
Which one is better?
Physical sunscreens are good for sensitive skin, however, they are known to give off a white cast and the texture doesn’t feel smooth during application. Although nanotechnology has improved the qualities of minimizing the white cast through crushing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide into much smaller particles so that it can spread more evenly, some may still prefer using the alternative.
Chemical sunscreens are very smooth to apply and have better UVA coverage due to the variations of chemical UV filters that can be added as ingredients, however this chemical may lead to allergic reactions or irritations for people with sensitive skin.
The purpose of both sunscreens are to block UVA and UVB rays from penetrating deeper into the skin. UVA rays should be blocked to the highest extent due to its ability of releasing free radicals which can be described as unstable, charged molecules that have the ability of reacting with other molecules like DNA and damage them. The free radicals are known to stimulate skin aging. UVB rays are also undesired as it can reach the skin surface called the epidermis, leading to sunburns and can progress into more serious effects such as skin cancer.
The greater importance seems to be if sunscreens are part of your daily skincare routine, rather than what type of sunscreen is more highly recommended. Are you using sunscreen every day?
