Physical/Mineral Sunscreen
Physical sunscreen is a formula that protects against both UVA and UVB rays with mineral ingredients (hence its second name). These products work by physically blocking the sun, sort of like a shield. The most common mineral sunscreen ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and they are known for leaving a very strong white cast. Although recent formulas offer the same protection minus the aforementioned white cast.
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Chemical Sunscreen
While physical sunscreens create a shield for your skin, chemical sunscreens work by penetrating into your skin creating a chemical defense. "Chemical sunscreen absorbs into the skin and then absorbs UV rays, converts the rays into heat, and releases them from the body," according to Piedmont Healthcare. "The active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include avobenzone, octinoxate and oxybenzone."
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Hybrid Sunscreen
Hybrid sunscreen simply means that your product contains both physical and chemical blockers. Some people like this double down approach and find that the formulations are more sophisticated.
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Sport Sunscreen
"Sport sunscreen is generally a sunscreen with a strong SPF factor compared to regular sunscreen and is usually designed with water resistivity," notes Gonzalez. "Sport sunscreen is great for runners, swimmers, hikers, skiers or anyone who is outdoors for long periods of time."
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Waterproof Sunscreen
"When a sunscreen is water resistant, it means the SPF remains effective while you are sweating or swimming," says Gonzalez. "For example, if a sunscreen says 'water resistant: 40 minutes,' the SPF after 40 minutes will decline and you should reapply to maintain the original SPF value."
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