Natural Sunscreen vs Chemical Sunscreen

Kristen Dwyer

June 15, 2019

It's confusing choosing a sunscreen. Today, I'm talking about natural sunscreen vs chemical.

It’s sweet summertime, which means you’re shopping for sunscreen for you and your family. Your skin is the largest organ of the body, and anything you put on it will be absorbed into the blood stream. So, let’s make sure you’re making healthy choices. Let’s talk about the difference between natural sunscreen and chemical sunscreen.

I want to start by saying that just because you see a round up of sunscreens that are “dermatologist approved” doesn’t mean they don’t contain potentially harmful ingredients. How many ads have you seen claiming to be the brand derms choose? If you look at those ingredient lists, the “recommended” products contain parabens. So take that dermatologist stamp of approval with a grain of salt.

The only FDA approved natural sunscreen ingredients in the US are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

In college, I worked at Bare Minerals for about 5 years. Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are present in their mineral makeup, and the way I would explain this natural sunscreen to customers is that it’s like if you held up a rock between you and the sun. The rock blocks your sun exposure and also doesn’t expire or require you to reapply said rock (lol).

Natural Sunscreen vs Chemical Sunscreen

Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are basically minerals (aka rocks). So, it makes sense, right? Being a physical sunscreen, natural/mineral sunscreens have particles literally blocking the sun from your skin.

So, we have established that if the active ingredients in your sunscreen are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, your sunscreen is natural. So then what are the synthetic ingredients?

Synthetic Ingredients (chemical sunscreen)

avobenzone
octinoxate
oxybenzone

Natural Ingredients (mineral sunscreen)

titanium dioxide
zinc oxide

It’s important to note that just because your sunscreen is labeled as natural, doesn’t actually mean all of the ingredients are natural; it only means that the active ingredients are natural. Sneaky, huh? So, if you are wanting a truly natural sunscreen, you still have to read labels. Womp womp.

Verywell Health has a great article explaining all of this.

Why Natural Sunscreens are Better

Like I stated above, natural sunscreens are physical sunscreens. They literally block the UV rays (remember the rock analogy). If you have something physically blocking the sun’s rays, it will be stronger and more effective than a chemical sunscreen. Long term, using a physical sunscreen gives you better protection against photoaging, according to Verywell.

Because a natural sunscreen is a physical sunscreen, there is no chemical reaction on the skin. So, if you have sensitive skin, especially on your face, a natural sunscreen is the way to go. I will tell you, because it is a physical sunscreen, some can give a bit of a white cast. But nothing like that opaque white glue your mom used to lather on your nose.

Ever since I turned 30, I have been much more mindful about sunscreen. Years of lifeguarding in my teens left me some sun spots that started to show themselves recently. Not today, satan! So, I’m really into skincare that gets rid of these spots, as well as prevents them.

Brands I Use (and love!)

May contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.

This is the first year I will be going completely au naturale (sunscreen-wise, lol). I tan very easily, and we all know a tan is just your skin’s melanin that’s been damaged. Scary, right? So, I have been all about chemical sunscreen for my body because I thought it worked better (due to naivete, not facts).

If you sweat, you know it’s pretty difficult to find a sunscreen that doesn’t drip and cause your eyes to burn. I have tried a lot of products, and these are what I have been using for over a year, as well as what I purchased for this summer.

Face

Kiss My Face Sensitive Side Sunscreen

This is super super amazing. It is for sensitive skin so I have never broken out.
It doesn’t burn my eyes.
It hydrates wonderfully.
It’s vegan and cruelty free.

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Sunscreen