Chemical Sunscreens vs. Mineral Sunscreens: Which One Is Right For You?

Summer is here and it’s heating up out there!

That means it’s time to stock up on your favorite sunscreen to protect your skin from the dangerous ultra violet rays that promise to beat down upon you at the lake, the pool, the golf course and everywhere else you’ll be this summer.

But is your favorite sunscreen really the one you should be using?

“Not all sunscreens are the same,” said Dr. Richard Price of Price Skin Care Clinic, in Madison, Mississippi. “In fact, there are two types of sunscreen: chemical-based and mineral based. And they protect your skin in two different ways.”

Chemical sunscreens absorb and transform the sun’s harmful rays using chemicals such as oxybenzone, avobenzone and homosalate.

Mineral sunscreens use physical blockers such as zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide that reflect the sun’s rays away from your skin.

Which one is right for you?

Most doctors would agree that any sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is better than no sunscreen at all. But mineral-based sunscreens offer some advantages over chemical-based sunscreens for people who:
• Have sensitive skin
• Are allergic to ingredients of chemical sunscreens
• Are recovering from skin operations
• Are committed to a healthy skin regimen

If you fall into one or more of these categories, consider trying one of the mineral-based sunscreens offered at Price Skin Care Clinic: TIZO Mineral Sunscreens or EltaMD Sun Care.

Here’s why we believe in these products so strongly that we make them available to our patients.

TIZO Mineral Sunscreens
For almost 30 years, TIZO has offered mineral sunscreens as an alternative to chemical sunscreens. TIZO’s zinc-oxide base offers full broad-spectrum ultra violet ray protection in a water-resistant formula.

The company’s patented ‘Skin Firm Technology’ offers a three-dimensional delivery system that allows for the improved stability of the performance ingredients and:
• Addresses trans-epidermal water loss which helps maintain the skins’ natural moisture
• Offers a time-release system
• Helps prevent pigmentation changes
• Helps slow the signs of pre-mature skin aging

In addition, TIZO Mineral Sunscreen products are free of chemical sunscreens, oils,
preservatives and parabens.

TIZO even offers a line of Photoceutical system products, which are designed to repair, protect and revitalize environmentally-distressed and photo-damaged skin.

EltaMD Suncare
EltaMD sunscreens are recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation as effective broad-spectrum sunscreens. They are formulated with transparent zinc oxide and are noncomedogenic, sensitivity-free, fragrance-free and paraben-free

EltaMD Suncare offers a wide range of sunscreen products including facial, lotion and lip balm in SPFs ranging from 30+ to 31+. Other sunscreen products offer SPF protection from 40 up to 50, and include applications for a variety of needs including a specially-formulated product called ‘UV Sport’ for swimmers, skiers, runners, golfers and other athletes.

For more information about TIZO and EltaMD mineral sunscreen products, stop by Price Skin Care Clinic and talk to our receptionist or call us at: (601) 992-3996.