Sunscreen 101: Breakdown of Ingredients

Hey nuggets! In lieu of summer, I wanted to create a SUNSCREEN 101 series. I bet you guys think I'm a sunscreen addict (cough*previous post*cough). And I guess I am, just a little bit. But it's because sunscreen is an essential way to protect your skin. Neglecting sun protection is like butchering the foundation of a house. Since I'm sure you don't want a crappy house that will crumble in a few days, you should incorporate sunscreen into your life. ;)

Breakdown of the Ingredients:
In order to find a sunscreen that fits your needs, checking out the ingredients is very helpful.

--- First off there are chemical sunscreens and physical sunscreens.

Chemical sunscreens:     

"absorb UV rays and convert the sun's energy into heat energy"
- They are carbon compounds made in the laboratory. About 22 now exist.
Ex: avobenzone, ecamsule, octinoxate, oxybenzone

Physical sunscreens:
"deflect and scatter rays before they penetrate your skin"
-They are natural minerals ground into fine powder. The two types are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

CHEMICAL VS PHYSICAL?
Alright here's a comparison of chemical and physical sunscreens:

Physical sunscreens are technically more natural, since they are not laboratory processed. They also do not decompose after sun exposure, therefore lasting longer on your skin. In addition, you can storm out of the house right after physical sunscreen application, while with chemical sunscreen, you'll need to apply it 10-20 minutes before sun exposure. Downside of the physical? More greasy and usually leave a white cast. Due to this greasiness and all, physical sunscreens might clog pores and cause acne on acne prone/oily skin. Chemical sunscreens usually feel a lot lighter and nicer on the skin, and are much more makeup friendly.

So the type of sunscreen you choose depends on your skin and your skin's needs. I personally like the idea of physical sunscreens. If you do to, but have oily or acne prone skin, try out powder sunscreens. My previous post was about a powder sunscreen that I really like, so check that out if you are interested. 

This Sunscreen101 thing was actually supposed to be one post, but I'm breaking it up into a series of posts because there's just too much to talk about haha. So yes there will more.. I could probably dedicate this whole blog to sunscreen...yikes. ^.^