Sunscreen Myths

As beautiful as the sun may be, it can also be dangerous for your skin. The sun emits invisible rays known as ultraviolet radiation, or UV radiation for short. These rays can be incredibly harmful against human skin. Under prolonged exposure, without any form of sun protection, UV radiation can impose skin damage ranging from skin cancer, premature wrinkles, skin aging, and more. 

Health experts advise that, to protect yourself from UV radiation, you should seek shade and/or wear clothes as a physical barrier against the sun. I don’t know about you, but summer is not a time to stay indoors or wear thick, long garments. 

Fear not! You can still enjoy outdoor activities while limiting your exposure to UV radiation by taking another simple, smart proactive measure: sunblock. 

It should be no surprise that learning about sunblock can be both intimidating and confusing as there are a plethora of academic journals and websites that discuss the science behind sunblock. However, here at L.U.V (Low Ultraviolet), we hope to enlighten you and resolve any questions or concerns that you may have about sunblock so that you can make more informed decisions when it comes to your sun protection.

So, what is the difference between sunscreen and sunblock?

There are two generic types of sunscreen in the market: sunblock and sunscreen. It is common for people to use these terms interchangeably; however, it is important to note that they are in fact different. Although sunscreen and sunblock shield the skin from UV radiation, they use different active ingredients to achieve such protection. 

Sunscreen can be thought of as a chemical filter that uses special chemicals to absorb incoming UV radiation before it penetrates the skin. Common active ingredients include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and/or octinoxate. 

Sunblock is a physical/inorganic filter. Oftentimes, you will hear the term, mineral based sunscreen/sunblock; they refer to the same thing. Sunblock, physical sunscreen, and mineral-based sunscreen/sunblock use the same active ingredients and work in similar fashion to each other. The active ingredients used in sunblock are very tiny metals known as titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide. These metals are so tiny in size that they are called nanoparticles.

Similarly to sunscreen’s active ingredients, the main elements present in sunblock also absorb incoming UV radiation. Online publications and advertisements wrongly interpret the description of physical/inorganic filters. Many sources will say that sunblock reflects and scatters UV rays rather than absorbing them, providing total protection against the sun. That is incorrect. Sunblock functions the same way as sunscreen through the absorption of UV radiation, not through reflection or scattering. The descriptor physical/inorganic filter refers to how the ingredients in sunblock behave on the surface of your skin. The active ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium oxide, are classified as inert metals, which mean that they are not reactive. Therefore, they are not easily absorbed into the skin; instead, the ingredients remain on top of the skin’s surface, giving it the description of physical/inorganic barriers. 

In short, sunscreen uses organic chemicals to absorb UV radiation whereas sunblock resorts to special metals that also absorb UV radiation; both of which provide sun protection.