What is the difference between physical sunscreen and chemical sunscreen?

Most people use physical sunscreen, but some people are not suitable for chemical sunscreen. The effects of these two methods are different. So which one is better, physical sunscreen or chemical sunscreen? What is the difference between physical sunscreen and chemical sunscreen?

Which is better, physical sunscreen or chemical sunscreen?

The so-called physical sunscreen generally uses carbon dioxide and zinc oxide ingredients. The principle of sun protection is to refract and scatter ultraviolet rays. It's like putting a protective shield on the skin. Its advantages are mild ingredients, high safety, and less likely to cause skin problems. But it is quite thick and will turn white, and if you are not careful, you will end up with a mask-like face! Another advantage is that it can protect you from the sun as soon as you apply it, without waiting!

Chemical sunscreen is to add chemical sunscreens to prevent ultraviolet rays from damaging the skin by absorbing ultraviolet rays and converting them into heat energy. It feels light and non-sticky, but has poor light stability and needs to be reapplied repeatedly after prolonged sun exposure. And it needs to be applied about 20 minutes before going out to achieve the sun protection effect. Which one is better? And according to scientific data, the sun protection effect of physical sunscreen SPF30 is better than that of chemical sunscreen SPF50.

What is the difference between physical sunscreen and chemical sunscreen?

1. Physical sunscreen, as the name suggests, uses the principles of physics. The atomic particles of this sunscreen are flaky. When applied on the face, they reflect sunlight like a mirror to achieve the purpose of sun protection. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are both physical sunscreen ingredients. They can form a protective film on the skin, preventing ultraviolet rays from penetrating the skin surface. Both can provide comprehensive UVB protection, and zinc oxide can block UVA better. Typical physical sunscreen ingredients are white, pasty, and turn blue when they come into contact with water. However, this type of product also has certain limitations: for people with darker skin, the toning effect may not be natural; for people with drier skin, it is not moisturizing enough; it is not suitable for full-body sun protection; it must be removed with the help of makeup remover products, and so on.

2. Chemical sunscreen uses chemical ingredients to protect against the sun. This type of sunscreen uses the principle of absorption to protect against the sun. It is a light-transmitting substance that can absorb ultraviolet rays and convert them into molecular vibration energy or heat energy to achieve the effect of sun protection, such as para-aminobenzoic acid and its derivatives, cinnamic acid, etc. When applied to the face, the atoms absorb sunlight to prevent it from reaching the skin. In theory, physical sunscreen reflects ultraviolet rays, while chemical sunscreen absorbs ultraviolet rays, so physical sunscreen is better than chemical sunscreen, but physical sunscreen is better than chemical sunscreen.