How often do you think about the composition of your sunscreen?
I know I never did!
I figured if it has SPF built into the formula, then I'm ready to run out the door and go on about my day. But the more I dove into the difference between chemical and mineral sunscreens, the more I learned what's best for me to achieve my skincare goals.
Let's break down the difference between these sunscreens first:
Chemical sunscreen formulas are ABSORBED into your skin.
Mineral sunscreen sits on top of your skin. (Think about the white noise sunscreens for surfers!) 🏄♀️
"In a study published in May, FDA scientists found that four active ingredients found in commercial sunscreens — avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene and ecamsule — were "systemically absorbed" into users' skin. (One of the ingredients, oxybenzone, has been found in breast milk, urine and blood plasma.) The high absorption rate of these ingredients means we need to study their potential toxicity levels further, the researchers wrote." (NPR, 2019)
Say what....?
Let's not be an alarmist! Yes, there are ingredients that are found in our system but sunscreens are regulated by the FDA. Research is still happening on these ingredients but no toxicity has been established yet.
If you're nervous about sunscreen ingredients though, you can avoid the more questionable chemicals by choosing mineral sunscreens.
Here are my top 3 mineral sunscreens that I've been using and recommend.
