No. 4 - Keep track of different sunscreen filters
What protects in a sunscreen are different types of filters that are usually divided into organic (chemical) and mineral (physical) filters. Many people use organic filters because they provide a nicer and better product to apply, they do not give the white slightly sticky film on the skin that products with high levels of mineral filters can give.
From a skin perspective, the mineral filters titanium dioxide and zinc oxide may be preferable because they do not penetrate (get through) the skin. Therefore, the body is less likely to react to mineral filters. It is i.a. the low risk of allergies which means that mineral filters are often used for children and people with sensitive skin. However, the cosmetic effect can be experienced as worrying as mineral filters can leave a white film on the skin.
The new and most modern organic filters, however, consist of larger molecules that also have a very low tendency to penetrate the skin. For these substances, the advantages of the organic filters and the mineral filters have been combined, i.e. they provide a nice product to rub in while being large enough to stay on the outside of our skin. Our opinion is therefore that the best sunscreen product, which provides the best protection and the best product to apply, is the one that contains a combination of modern organic filters and the mineral filters zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Among the organic filters, we believe that you should avoid the substances from the older generation, those that have a smaller molecular size and that can penetrate the skin. The older generation of filters has a greater tendency to cause allergies and skin problems, in some cases levels of them have also been measured in the urine, which shows uptake and seen hormone-disrupting effects. They have also in many cases been shown to have a negative impact on the environment.
If you want to know what is what, you can look for the following in the INCI list on the product:
Examples of new modern organic UV filters (INCI) that we recommend: Bis-Ethylhexyoxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Tris Biphenyl Triazine, Ethylene-bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol Disodium Phenyl Dibenzimidazole Tetrasulfonate.
Older Generation Organic UV Filter (INCI) Names to Avoid: Benzophenone-3, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Homosalate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Octocrylene, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA
Mineral filter in sunscreen that we recommend (INCI): Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
Our tip is also to choose sunscreen products from European companies developed for the European market, as they more often use newer variants of UV filters that are better from a skin and health perspective. The FDA, which regulates the use of UV filters in the US, has so far not approved several of the European variants, and American companies therefore tend to still use the older filters. If you are interested in the environmental impact of different UV filters, you can read more here.
