Mineral-Based & Zinc Sunscreens for the Win!

Even as summer comes to an end, it is still important to slather on ample protection when heading out during the day. Despite what you may have been told, you can still get a substantial sunburn on a cloudy day.

The sun care business is one of the most rapidly growing industries, with sales expected to balloon to $25 billion by 2024. That is not only good news for sunscreen companies, but it is a telltale sign that people are taking sun damage and skin cancer seriously.

While wearing sunscreen is an absolute necessity these days, are you unknowingly wearing sunscreens that are bad for us? Information is slowly surfacing that indicates some of the brand-name sunscreens we are familiar with are filled with chemicals and compounds that can seep into the skin and do more harm than good.

Consumer Reports (CR) released an article back in May of 2019 that states, “The FDA is now asking the sunscreen industry to provide additional safety information on 12 common chemical sunscreen ingredients, including oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisalate, and octocrylene.”

They continue on to say, “Of the 12 ingredients the FDA is investigating, the one most often flagged as potentially worrisome is oxybenzone. This chemical is widely used in sunscreens because it effectively protects against UV rays, those that are mostly responsible for sunburn (UVB) and skin cancer (UVA). About half of the 80 sunscreen lotions, sprays, and sticks in CR’s current sunscreen ratings—including all of the recommended ones—contain oxybenzone.” Suffice it to say, oxybenzone aside, the other chemicals listed as active ingredients in popular sunscreen brands sound less than appealing as well.

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The Return of Mineral-Based Zinc Sunscreens

Here comes zinc sunscreen and titanium oxide to save the day. While drugstore sunscreens lose as much as 90% of their effectiveness in about an hour, this isn’t the case with zinc oxide or titanium oxide. These mineral based sunscreen ingredients are really making an impact on the sun care industry, and people are finally listening.

If there wasn’t a better example of how trustworthy these mineral-based sunscreens are, dermatologists are recommending these products for toddlers and children. Unlike your typical aerosol clear sunscreens, products containing zinc and titanium oxide sit on the surface of the skin and physically block UV light. There are now two categories of sunscreen, physical and chemical.

Physical sunscreens are mineral-based. They actually reflect UV light off of the skin, whereas chemical sunscreens absorb the UV light. But what happens to all of those chemicals that you are slathering on your skin, don’t they get absorbed into your system? Yes, and that is what has prompted dermatologists and doctors to suggest parents choose a physical, mineral-based sunscreen for their toddlers and children.

It comes back to that active ingredient, oxybenzone, which could be a hormone disruptor. Once applied, these chemicals soak into the dermis and quickly find their way into the bloodstream. They spread throughout the body without being detoxified by the liver. What’s even more alarming is that these chemicals can be detected in blood, urine, and even breast milk for up to 3 days after one application.

To be fair, simply cutting out chemical sunscreen doesn’t protect you against oxybenzone exposure. This ingredient exists in a variety of other products including plastics, hairspray and nail polishes.

To recap, read your labels and be an educated consumer. Opt for zinc sunscreens or mineral based sunscreens when shopping for sun care products. A lot of sun care and skincare companies are creating products to fit the demand in the marketplace, so your options will increase, as well as more reasonable price points. No matter what, don’t skip wearing sunscreen when you’re heading out for the day. Your skin will thank you for years to come.