Physical Sunscreen – A Definition.
June 27, 2007 by Teri Cosenzi
Filed under Cosmetics, Mineral Makeup, Skin Care
Did you know that there is a difference between sunscreen and sunblock?
Sunscreen is a chemical, and what we most often find on drugstore shelves. Sunblock, is a physical sunscreen.
Sunblock, or physical sunscreens, contain minerals such as titanium dioxide or zinc dioxide. These are particles that are naturally occurring in minerals, such as in the many mineral powder foundations on the market. These minerals work as they scatter, reflect, or absorb the suns radiation.
Physical sunscreens do not penetrate the skin, thus they are not absorbed. This is important to know for those who want the sun protection, but get reactions from chemical sunscreens.
Next time you put on your mineral powder, know that you are not just making your face pretty, but you are helping it stay pretty by protecting it from the sun as well.
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Thank you for this info. Can you please clarify further – if a sunscreen contains titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide *and* chemical components in the active ingredients, is it still considered to be a physical sunscreen? Thanks!
Good Question. I would think that if there are chemicals in the formula, then it is not just a physical sunscreen. But it might depend on what the chemical ingredients are. Do they block the sun, or are the inert minerals what is protecting you from the sun? I will pose this question to a group I belong to, and I will see if they have the correct answer
Good info not many people know, and not only that – Physical sunblock protects until it is washed off, unlike chemichal sunscreen which breaks down after about an hour, which is why they say to reapply after 1 hour of wearing!
Great point as well, Mikaela. Thanks for bringing it up.
Thank you so much for introducing to us the knowledge about natural mineral sunscreens. I can’t wait to give them a try. But my concern is if they are too greasy for oily and acne-prone skin?