So, while it's true that chemical sunscreen does indeed get absorbed by the body, more information is needed on what exactly the health implications are when this happens with currently approved sunscreen ingredients.
Chemical sunscreen skin#
Two ingredients can be harmful when absorbed through the skin (more on that below), but as of this writing, claims that approved chemical sunscreens are toxic or a hazard to human health have not been proven, says Dr. It's a fair concern: Ingredients from certain sunscreens have been demonstrated to be absorbed and enter the bloodstream, although no data to date shows that any FDA-approved chemical sunscreens are harmful, Dr. While it's possible you could absorb a small amount of mineral sunscreen, it's unlikely based on the way they work: They sit atop your skin and deflect the sun's rays, and are easily washed off with sweat or water. Part of the reason mineral sunscreens have become so mainstream is that many people worry about their bodies absorbing the ingredients in chemical sunscreens. You can absorb chemicals through your skin, but no dangerous ones are approved for use in the US. Physical (also called mineral) sunscreens, on the other hand, contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, and often feel sticky going on the skin. Because of their makeup, chemical sunscreens tend to "be more elegant in terms of ease of application and minimizing that icky white residue," Dr. Hollmig explains.Ĭommon ingredients in chemical - or conventional - sunscreens include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate. "Chemical sunscreens act almost like a sponge, absorbing UV light, while physical sunscreens act more like a shield, deflecting the sun's rays," Dr. Hollmig says: The only real difference, he points out, is how they do that. They're either classified as chemical or physical, based on how they work.īoth classes have been shown to reduce short- and long-term damage to the skin, reduce the risk of sunburn and of skin cancer, Dr. Tyler Hollmig, director of dermatologic surgery at University of Texas Dell Medical School in Austin, tells CNET. Sunscreens are divided into two major classes, Dr. regular sunscreen: How they workĬhemical sunscreens tend to go on the skin easier, while mineral sunscreens are often difficult to rub in. Whether or not mineral sunscreen is safer or healthier than chemical sunscreen is a gray area (for now), but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to more tightly regulate the US sunscreen market and find out which ingredients in currently approved sunscreens, if any, are harmful to human health.
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