Key Sunscreen Ingredients

There are so many sunscreens out there, it can be so hard to choose which one. You assume you know which brands to trust but what is really most important is the ingredients used in each product? We know reading labels can be daunting and just give you a headache so we wanted to lay out exactly which key ingredients you need to be looking for.

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide

There are two types of active ingredients in sunscreens: mineral ingredients or chemical ingredients. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are both mineral ingredients and the keys that you should be looking for and using in your sunscreens. These two ingredients are naturally found minerals that actually reflect then sun off of your skin by sitting on top of your skin. Just like the surface of the ocean reflecting the light back off the water, these minerals do a similar thing.

The chemical ingredients actually get absorbed into your skin, and thus into your bloodstream. They work by absorbing and converting the sun rays once the chemicals have been absorbed into your skin. This means it takes about 20 minutes to actually start to be effective. This is why you were always told to put the sunscreen on before you head out into the sun! You are at high risk those first few minutes sitting in the hot sun waiting for the sunscreen to dry.

It also means that those chemicals are now in your body and can be measured in your blood. With continued use, this can lead to harmful side effects. What we do know for sure, is that these chemicals are causing our coral reefs to die. If the reefs are dying, what do you think is happening inside your own body?

Using the mineral based sunscreens is not only better for you, it is better for the environment. If you have sensitive skin, these are also hands down a better choice. These are not absorbed into your skin, thus not showing up in your bloodstream. Therefore, you should always and only buy sunscreen that uses Titanium or Zinc. If you see other “Active Ingredients” listed, steer clear. Those are the chemicals that are bad for you. Unfortunately, there are so many of them, listing them all would just be overwhelming. So, keep it simple- titanium or zinc? Snatch it up in a blink!

Lotion or Aerosol Sunscreen?

What we now know, is that aerosol sunscreen can have very harmful chemicals in them. It has recently been found that a known carcinogenic called benzene is being found in a number of the aerosol sunscreens from top trusted brands. Therefore, lotion sunscreen is your absolute best bet right now. This has only been found in the aerosol cans and not the lotions. To be on the safe side, we would recommend you only use lotion sunscreens, and only ones who’s active ingredients are either titanium or zinc.

The research is still on going for the aerosols, and not every brand may be effected, however it is better to be safe than sorry in this case. As the research comes in, we will be following along and make sure to do updates as needed.