Pros and Cons of Various Sunscreen Types. Summer is the season for beach days, poolside parties, and family outings! Spending a day outside with your family is a wonderful way to strengthen bonds, improve mood, and get some much-needed vitamin D.
But regrettably, there are hazards involved. The sun exposes you to ultraviolet radiation or UV rays. Categorizing UV radiation by wavelength reveals its invisibility to the human eye. The three primary UV radiation types are UVA, UVB, and UVC. Its radiation has the longest wavelengths.
RELATED: How to Select Your Ideal Sunscreen!
Types of sunscreen
Sunscreens function by forming UV filters with active ingredients that prevent UV rays from damaging skin cells. Sunscreens come in two varieties: chemical and mineral. Each type employs different mechanisms to filter UV rays and shield the skin from harm.
Mineral sunscreens
Mineral sunscreens act as a physical barrier by reflecting and dispersing UV rays away from the skin like tiny mirrors, sitting on top of the skin’s surface. It shields the skin from UVA and UVB radiation by obstructing UV rays at the surface level.
Furthermore, mineral sunscreens don’t require waiting time because they form a physical barrier that works immediately upon application.
Mineral sunscreens can be seen on the skin and have a tendency to have a white cast to them. Furthermore, mineral sunscreens must be reapplied frequently because they are easily rubbed, sweated off, or rinsed off because they sit on the skin’s surface.
To guarantee proper protection, they must also be applied liberally. To reduce lung exposure, stay away from spray and powder formulations of mineral sunscreens as the nanoparticles in them should not be inhaled. Zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide, or a combination of the two, are the active ingredients found in mineral sunscreens.
- Pros: Complete protection against UVA and UVB rays; instantaneous effectiveness; non-pore-clogging
- Cons: The skin may get a white cast after repeated application; spray and loose powder formulations should be avoided.
Chemical sunscreens
Chemical sunscreens settle in the deeper layers of your skin after being absorbed. They take in UV radiation, convert it to heat, and then expel the heat from the skin.
Chemical sunscreens might not be 100% effective at blocking UVA rays, which still damage the skin’s deeper layers because UV rays must pass through the skin to reach these chemicals.
Planning is necessary because chemical sunscreens take around 20 minutes to become effective.
Furthermore, exposure to direct light accelerated the depletion of the chemicals, necessitating more frequent reapplication. Chemical sunscreens’ tendency to release heat can be problematic for people with hyperpigmented skin, sensitive skin, and rosacea.
The skin’s heat may exacerbate pre-existing brown spots. Chemical sunscreens have the potential to clog pores and cause issues for skin prone to acne. Oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, octisalate, homosalate, or mixtures of these are found in chemical sunscreens.
- Pros: Thicker and easier to spread on the skin, less product is needed for each application to provide protection, and it applies invisible
- Cons: Can exacerbate acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation; requires time to become effective; allows for some UVA exposure; requires frequent application
The issue with sunscreens made of chemicals
The FDA republished a proposed rule for over-the-counter sunscreen products in 2021. This rule would mandate toxicology testing, including studies on carcinogenicity, development, and reproduction, for any active ingredient absorbed into the bloodstream at concentrations greater than 0.5 ng/mL.
Multiple active ingredients found in sunscreens have been found to enter the bloodstream, according to FDA researchers. Toxicology testing is advised to further explore the clinical significance of these findings.
In a 2019 study, the plasma concentration of the active ingredients in sunscreens was examined after application under optimal use conditions.1 For four days, 24 healthy volunteers applied one of four sunscreens to 75% of their skin four times a day. The blood concentrations of four active ingredients—avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule—were measured.
After just one day of use, all four ingredients were above the 0.5 ng/mL threshold limit. Maximum plasma levels of oxybenzone were observed in certain formulations at concentrations higher than 200 ng/mL.
Because they don’t absorb through the skin and enter the bloodstream, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, two mineral sunscreens, have sufficient safety data to be deemed by the FDA to be generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE).
Nevertheless, the FDA lacks sufficient information to make comparable GRASE determinations for 12 of the 16 chemical sunscreen ingredients that are approved for use in the US. Because oxybenzone can alter hormone levels and trigger allergic reactions, it is especially concerning.
Making the best choice
What kind of sunscreen is best for you depends on a number of factors. The following fundamental rules will help you stay safe from sunburn:
Examine the ingredients
- Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreens are the mineral sunscreens that have been studied the most for clinical safety and effectiveness. An outdoor store or a health food store will have the most options. If you decide to use a chemical sunscreen, try to stay away from products that contain oxybenzone.
Select lotions.
- Use a lotion-based sunscreen to minimize inhalation and lung exposure, even though spray sunscreen options are more convenient.
Consider usage
- The best option is a mineral sunscreen if you will be in the sun for a significant portion of the day, especially if you have sensitive skin or skin conditions like acne or rosacea. You may want to think about using a chemical sunscreen instead of a mineral one because you will need to reapply the latter often if you plan on sweating or swimming.
Don’t focus on SPF numbers
- Misuse and an assumption of safety can result from the SPF rating. Using a high SPF product with shoddy application is not nearly as effective as using a low SPF product.
Use appropriately
- For best results, apply a thick layer of mineral sunscreen right away; for best results, apply a chemical sunscreen at least 20 minutes in advance of sun exposure.
Reapply
- Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours because it wears off over time. This is especially true when wearing chemical sunscreen in direct sunlight and perspiring or swimming while wearing mineral sunscreen.
Don’t skip it
- It is better to use any sunscreen than none at all to shield your skin from damaging UV radiation 카지노사이트.