Wondering what sunscreen you should get to protect your skin, and curious about mineral sunscreen? You have come to the right place.

There are two main types of sunscreens you can choose from – chemical or mineral sunscreen. Mineral sunscreen has less chemicals in it, but both varieties will help to protect you from UVA and UVB rays.

Here are some things to know about mineral sunscreen so you can decide if this is a good time to make the switch.

Mineral VS Chemical Sunscreens

The primary difference between a mineral sunscreen and a traditional chemical one is in their ingredients. Mineral sunscreens use ingredients that are more natural and organic, but still protect you from the sun’s UV rays. While many chemical sunscreen are going to use chemical compounds in their product.

Chemical sunscreen’s ingredients to help protect you from the sun’s UV rays include chemicals like octisalate, oxybenzone, and avobenzone. Simply by looking at the ingredients on the back of your sunscreen will show these and others to tell you it is a chemical sunscreen.

With mineral sunscreen, it typically uses either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as its primary sun-blocking ingredient for your skin. These are minerals shown to help protect your skin from the sun.

Benefits of Switching to Mineral Sunscreen

The first thing to note is that the FDA recently proposed a rule where they have requirements about ingredients allowed in sunscreen. This is a great indication that mineral sunscreen might be much better for you.

Here are some benefits of switching to mineral sunscreen:

You get the sun protection without fillers. Naturally, the best benefit is not having all those chemicals on your skin. It should be noted that chemical sunscreens are safe and have been used for decades. But, if you can get sun protection with minerals, it might be worth looking into.

Less irritation for sensitive skin. People with sensitive skin or skin disorders like rosacea and eczema often struggle with many standard products for the skin, including chemical sunscreen. Mineral sunscreen often causes less irritation.

Safer for kids without the added chemicals. Parents might also prefer using a sunscreen on their kids with less irritating ingredients and unnecessary chemicals.

.

Buying Mineral Sunscreen

Most sunscreens should be labeled as a mineral sunscreen and there are now many to choose from. If you like spray sunscreens, look for brands like Elta MD and Sun Bum. There are also cream mineral sunscreens from brands like Drunk Elephant, Cetaphil, and Banana Boat. If you have a darker skin tone, you might prefer Unsun.