All About Sunscreens
Sunscreen has come a long way from the thick, greasy, fake-coconut lotions of childhood. There are so many different formulations and types of sunscreen out there, trying to find the perfect one can be a challenge. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you out with that 🙂
Reading the label
Before I get into the nitty gritty of the different types of sunscreens, I wanted to first talk about some important terms related to sunscreen.
- UVA Rays: long wave ultraviolet A rays. These types of rays penetrate your deepest skin layers and cause photo aging in the form of wrinkles and hyperpigmentation
- UVB Rays: short wave ultraviolet B rays. These types of rays cause sunburn and skin cancer
- Broad Spectrum: Protects against both UVA and UVB rays. You should never use a sunscreen unless it is labeled as broad spectrum (or PA+++, but more on that later)
- SPF: Stands for Sun Protection Factor and measures how well the sunscreen protects against UVB rays
- PA+++ or PA++++: A rating you’ll see on many Asian sunscreens that measures how well the sunscreen protects against UVA rays. They range from PA+ to PA++++, but you want a sunscreen with 3 or 4 pluses
Putting it all together
Most Western sunscreens only have the SPF rating and whether or not the sunscreen is broad spectrum. The label broad spectrum tells you that the sunscreen does have protection against UVA rays, but it doesn’t tell you how much.
Asian sunscreens, on the other hand, give you a more detailed look at the sun protection by using the PA rating system in addition to the SPF rating. The SPF tells you how much UVB protection a sunscreen has, and the PA rating tells you how much UVA protection it has. (Any Asian sunscreen that has a PA rating is broad spectrum because it protects against both types of UV rays).
Ultimately, you’re looking for a broad spectrum sunscreen in the category that works best for you (either physical or chemical) with an SPF of 30 or higher or a PA rating of PA+++ or PA++++.
Sunscreen Types
There are two main categories of sunscreens; physical and chemical. Both types have pros and cons, so you’ll have to decide which one is right for you.
Physical Sunscreens
Physical sunscreens (also called mineral or inorganic) are made of either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, and like the name implies, provide a physical barrier that protects your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. They are effective as soon as you put them on, and will last until they are wiped away by moisture (from sweat, swimming, etc).
Those thick, greasy sunscreens you used to use? Those are physical sunscreens at their most basic. But don’t worry, physical sunscreens have come a long way since then. You can find many formulas that are lightweight and don’t feel greasy.
In addition to potentially being greasy or thick, physical sunscreens often leave a white cast on your face due to the minerals used. They can also cause “flashback”, a white reflection that appears during flash photography (some examples of it are here and here).
Chemical Sunscreens
Chemical sunscreens (also called organic) are comprised of:
- Avobenzone
- Oxybenzone
- Octinoxate
- Octisalate
- Octylcrylene
- Homosalate
- Helioplex
- 4-MBC
- Mexoryl SX and XL
- Tinosorb S and M
- Uvinul T 150
- Uvinul A Plus
These types of sunscreen require 20 minutes to absorb into the skin before they start working, and work by converting UV rays into heat.
These types of sunscreens can be very lightweight and won’t clog pores the way some physical sunscreens can. Chemical sunscreens typically won’t have a white cast to the skin or cause flashback the way physical sunscreens will.
However, chemical sunscreens tend to be more irritating than physical sunscreens, and need to be re-applied more frequently than physical; the act of converting UV rays into heat “uses up” the sunscreen, so you will have to apply more in order to stay protected if you are out in the sun for an extended period of time.
To sum it up
| | Physical Sunscreen | Chemical Sunscreen |
Pros | | Immediately effective and stays effective until washed off | Very lightweight, unlikely to interfere with or skincare layers or makeup |
| | Tends to be less irritating (particularly zinc oxide) than chemical sunscreens | Will not cause flashback |
Cons | | Can be thicker, potentially pore-clogging or greasy | Needs to be re-applied more frequently |
| | Can cause a white cast and/or flashback | Can be more irritating depending on skin type |
| | May be too thick to layer underneath makeup | Requires 20 minutes to be effective |
These are just basic overviews of each sunscreen type. There’s a lot of variation in both of these categories; some physical sunscreens are lightweight and white-cast free, and some chemical sunscreens that are thick and greasy. Many sunscreens have sweatproof formulas or are tinted to combat white cast. There are also hybrid sunscreens on the market that use a blend of both physical and chemical for sun protection.
One size doesn’t fit all
You may find that different types of sunscreens will work better for you in different circumstances. If you wear a BB cream or foundation with sunscreen in it, for example, you probably don’t need additional sun protection. If you want a low-effort sunscreen, a physical one is your best bet. If you want a sunscreen that won’t interfere with your makeup, there are setting sprays with SPF in them. I encourage you to test test test! The more sunscreens you try out, the better idea you’ll have of what works for you in what scenario.