There are lot more sunscreen available in the market and it is but obvious to get confused, when it comes to select right one for your face! Chemical sunscreen or mineral? Which one is better? To unravel confusion to some extent, lets understand difference between physical and chemical sunscreen. Which one is better? What is the recommendation of each one? Let’s solve the puzzle!
Physical or Mineral sunscreen
These sunscreens are made up of mineral ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. It works by reflecting sunrays away from your skin. These are environment friendly sunscreens. Let’s talk about its pros and cons.
Pros
- – They start working immediately after the application without any lag period.
- – These sunscreen suits perfectly for kids, pregnant women, lactating mothers and people with sensitive skin or rosacea.
- – These sunscreens are less likely to cause irritation or stinging sensation in skin or eyes.
Cons
- – Generally, leaves white cast over face. (Now a days, using modern technology, mineral sunscreens have been made more cosmetically acceptable).
- – Their formulation is quite thicker, hence not an ideal formulation under the makeup.
- – May cause more perspiration, giving oily look over face.
Chemical sunscreen
These sunscreens contain chemicals, like octsalate or octinoxate. These chemicals absorb the UV rays, rather than reflecting them away. Let’s talk about their pros and cons.
Pros
- – These sunscreens are aesthetically more acceptable, as they have thinner formulation, and merge beautifully with skin.
- – Does not leave any white cast.
- – Does not lead to increase perspiration.
Cons
- – Not suitable for kids, pregnant women, lactating mothers and people with sensitive skin or rosacea.
- – Does not work immediately and have lag period of about 30min. Hence need to be applied at least 30min before stepping out.
- – May cause irritation or stinging in skin or eyes.
To conclude, no sunscreen is best or worse! It is more important to select right one according to your skin type and associated conditions
