More and more we feel curious about the ingredients on the cosmetic products we consume. Although we get lost in translation with all those weird words we don’t even know how to pronounce. When it comes to sun care products this is a big challenge.

I would like to make this task easier for you , if you are not using an app for this matter just yet. Maybe starting with the ingredients that should not be listed is a good starting point. When you are in the search of a natural, and I mean completely natural from first ingredient to the last. The task can be tedious , confusing and boring .

How do we know what we are looking for? Where to start ? well maybe just knowing what we don’t want in our comestic products is a good starting point.

But let me explain first the difference between mineral (physical) and chemical filters ?

Mineral filters (physical)

Also called physical as they create  physical barrier on the skin that protects  it from the sun’s rays.

These sunscreens offer broad-spectrum protection by reflecting the so undesirable UV radiation away from your skin that causes aging, photoaging, pigmentation and other damages. The most common mineral filters are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. They sit on top of the skin hence don’t get absorbed providing the best shield to age spots, brown spots, wrinkles caused by breaking collagen.

As it sits on top of the skin, zinc oxide will show as white paste on the skin. The famous “ghost” effect no one like and it can be quite thick to spread .

Lately you can find some tinted options that solve the “ghost” look problem .

Chemical filters

They are absorbed by the skin before the sun rays hit the skin, spreadable, smooth and not visible on the skin. We all love this however the list below rise certain concern. There are studies that prove that these weird names chemicals are endocrine disruptors and potentially dangerous for our health.

Here are the names you can avoid when reading the ingredients label

• oxybenzone
• avobenzone
• octisalate
• octocrylene
• homosalate
• octinoxate

Some of these actives in sunscreen products have been found in the bloodstream and could be unsafe for your health.

As they say ” if in doubt ,out” . Stay away from chemical sunscreen and get a mineral one that is not too “ghosty” I would say.  The SPF topic is another issue as the difference in protection between SPF factors is not that big as it seems. Apparently the SPF is another marketing strategy in the cosmetic world.

Happy summer !

La Mayca