Sunscreen 101: A guide to protecting your skin
Sunscreen science can get pretty confusing. Mineral or chemical sunscreen? FDA regulation? Broad-spectrum? What about reef-safe sunscreens? We’re here to help break it down for you so you don’t get overwhelmed when faced with a wall of sunscreen decisions this summer.
Mineral VS Chemical Sunscreen
The difference between the two comes down to the type of active ingredients that do the actual sun-shielding on your skin. Most of the sunscreens available in the US are typically chemical sunscreens, which actually absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun before it reaches your skin. The most common chemical SPF ingredients in the United States include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, and octisalate. Mineral (or Physical) sunscreen physically blocks ultraviolet radiation with ingredients like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. It works as a shield rather than a sponge, like chemical sunscreen. Although the two sunscreens are equally as effective, mineral sunscreens are less available on the market, but we are seeing them grow in popularity.
There are benefits and potential downfalls to each type of sunscreen. For chemical sunscreens, the main draw is that it wears lightweight on the skin and can be blended, which makes it wearable for a range of skin tones. However, since chemical sunscreens need to be absorbed into the skin, they take 20 to 30 minutes to begin working. That means you need to stay inside after application until the sunscreen becomes effective or you’ll risk sunburn and photo-aging. Mineral sunscreens, on the other hand, protect the skin by physically screening the sun’s rays, which means they’re effective as soon as they’re applied. Some chemical sunscreens can also be irritating to the skin, especially if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Mineral sunscreens, on the other hand, would be ideal for those with more problematic skin because they are very gentle (which also makes them suitable for babies). The active ingredients in mineral sunscreens are also believed to be better for the environment than chemical SPF, especially when it comes to vulnerable sea-life and disappearing coral reefs.
For our Turmeric & Vanilla Mineral Sunscreen SPF 15, our active ingredients are non-nano Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, the only two ingredients currently “generally recognized as safe and effective” in sunscreen by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Our non-nano Zinc Oxide means that the particles aren’t small enough to penetrate your skin or bloodstream, making it safer for your body.
BROAD SPECTRUM vs. SPF
We should preface this by saying that no sunscreen can block 100% of the sun’s rays. Your best bet for true protection would be to cover up or stay inside, but the sun undeniably has its benefits to us. Some have claimed that sunscreen blocks vitamin D absorption from the sun, although that has largely been debunked, as most people do not wear enough sunscreen regularly enough to truly affect that.
“Broad Spectrum” is an FDA-regulated term that is used for sunscreens that protect against two types of light that can harm your skin and cause cells to mutate into cancer: ultraviolet-A (UVA) rays can prematurely age skin, cause wrinkles and age spots, and ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays cause sunburn and skin inflammation. Broad spectrum offers more protection than a higher SPF since SPF currently only measures UVB, and very high SPFs decrease UVA protection.
Our Turmeric & Vanilla Mineral Sunscreen SPF 15 will protect you from 93% of UVB rays, and although UVA rays are currently not rated, our mineral based broad spectrum sunscreen offers protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
SPF stands for “sun protection factor”, a measure of how well sunscreen protects against UVB rays. (UVA protection isn't yet rated.) Manufacturers calculate SPF based on how long it takes to sunburn skin treated with the sunscreen as compared to skin with no sunscreen.
Experts recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. After that, sunscreens with higher SPFs only provide a small increase in UV protection.
Reef safe vs Reef friendly
The terms “Reef Safe” or “Reef Friendly” are not regulated by law, so there actually is not an official definition. While companies cannot officially tout they are “Reef-safe”, certain ingredients found in chemical sunscreens like oxybenzone have shown that they cause harm to coral reefs, and therefore sunscreens without those ingredients are unofficially Reef Safe. Reef Friendly is a term with lesser stakes, since neither of these terms or claims are truly backed by science.
According to the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, who has run scientific lab testing on a number of ingredients found in sunscreen, has found the following to NOT be Reef Safe:
Any form of microplastic sphere or beads.
Any nanoparticles like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
4-methylbenzylidene camphor
Octocrylene
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)
Methyl Paraben
Ethyl Paraben
Propyl Paraben
Butyl Paraben
Benzyl Paraben
Triclosan
Our Turmeric & Vanilla Mineral Sunscreen SPF 15 does not contain any of the ingredients mentioned on the list, and we specifically use non-nano Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. It also comes in a recyclable plastic-free tin made of reusable metal.
Waterproof vs. water resistant
The FDA has stopped manufacturers from calling their sunscreens "waterproof" because there's no such thing — sweat and water will wash any formula away from skin. Currently, "water resistant" means sunscreen stays effective for 40 minutes in the water and "very water resistant" means it lasts for about 80 minutes water, but these definitions are subject to change with more research.
It is safe to say that reapplying sunscreen is necessary with continued sun exposure, and make sure you are checking what each label recommends, while also using your best judgement based on what kind of activity you’ve been doing.
We hope this guide to sunscreen was helpful and debunked some of the confusing terminology that is used in talking about sunscreen. Now you can stay protected while having fun in the sun, free of worry!
Sources:
I. Amber, Kyle T., et al. “Assessing The Current Market of Sunscreen: A Cross-Sectional Study of Sunscreen Availability in Three Metropolitan Counties in The United States.” Journal of Skin Cancer (2014). doi:10.1155/2014/285357
II. “Sunscreen and Corals.” The Coral Reef Alliance. 2020. https://coral.org/blog/sunscreen-and-corals/
III. Reef Safe Sunscreen Guide. http://haereticus-lab.org/protect-land-sea-certification-3/
IV. How to Decode Sunscreen Labels. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen/understand-sunscreen-labels