There's a slew of sunscreen product out there. Here's a sampling of what's on the labels and what it all is.

Physical Blockers (reflect or scatter UV rays rather than absorbing them)

Zinc Oxide - physical UVA + UVB blocker. Has a whitish tint (shown at right). As a stand-alone ingredient, provides the broadest UVA + UVB range protection on the market.

Titanium Dioxide - physical UVA + UVB blocker, but less effective with long UVA rays.

Chemical Blockers (absorb UV rays rather than reflecting them)

Parsol 1789 (aka Avobenzone) - provides UVA-range protection. Found in DDF Moisturizing Photo-Age Protection SPF 30, Lancome UV Expert 20 Sunscreen with Mexoryl SX

Mexoryl SX (aka Ecamsule) - provides UVA-range protection; water soluble. Found in Anthelios SX, L'Oreal Revitalift UV

Mexoryl XL - provides UVA-range protection; oil soluble.

Oxybenzone (aka Benzophenone-3) - provides UVB and short UVA range protection. Does not provide long range UVA ray protection. Found in Solbar PF 30 Liquid, Kate Somerville Protect SPF 30

Octinoxate (aka Octyl Methoxycinnamate) - oil soluble; provides UVB range protection. Found in Obagi C-SunGuard SPF 30, Cellex-C Sun Care SPF 15

Octisalate (aka Octyl Salicylate) - oil soluble; provides UVB range protection. Found in Replenix CF Anti-Photoaging Complex SPF 45, MD Skincare Powerful Sun Protection SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion

Typically, as not all ingredients are as effective on their own as they are collectively (eg, a water-soluble sunscreen may provide protection but not be waterproof). The Skin Cancer Foundation sums it up like this:

Many of the sunscreens available in the US today combine several different active chemical sunscreen ingredients in order to provide broad-spectrum protection.   Usually, at least three active ingredients are called for. These generally include PABA derivatives, salicylates, and/or cinnamates (octylmethoxycinnamate and cinoxate) for UVB absorption; benzophenones (such as oxybenzone and sulisobenzone) for shorter-wavelength UVA protection; and avobenzone (Parsol 1789), ecamsule (Mexoryl), titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide for the remaining UVA spectrum.

If you're interested in more information, please visit www.skincancer.org, or one of the source sites listed below.

Sources: nih.gov, fda.gov, consumerreports.org, skincancer.org

posted by skintoxicated