Sunscreen is a substance that aids in preventing skin cancer and, more significantly, sunburn. There are many forms of sunscreen that have been produced in the market and they come in varieties such as sticks, sprays, gels, foams (such an expanding foam or whipped lotion), lotions, gels, sprays, powders, and other topical formulations. Generally, sunscreen comes in two type namely chemical and physical. What are the differences between these two?
Chemical sunscreen doesn’t adhere to the skin or deflect sunlight. Instead, they include potent compounds that consume UV rays before the skin can absorb them. Some of the filters in chemical sunscreen is oxybenzone, avobenzone and octisalate. This chemical sunscreen takes 20 to 30 minutes to absorb into the skin. On the other hand, physical sunscreen work by forming a physical barrier between on the skin to protect from the sun’s rays. This sunscreen helps by reflecting UV radiation away from the skin. Physical sunscreen offers immediate protection where you do not have to wait for it to fully function. Neither mineral nor chemical sunscreen is perfect so people can use both of sunscreen without worrying if it is harmful for the skin.
Whether it’s physical or chemical, sunscreen is important to guard our skin from harmful UV radiation which can cause skin cancer. Using sunscreen regularly can also help to prevent from sunburn and premature aging where it can help to protect the skin’s appearance for any kind of age. Living in Malaysia, it is known for the hotness where the temperatures can go up to 24°C thus, wearing sunscreen is very important to cover the exposed skin.
