{"id":112105,"date":"2022-12-16T16:26:04","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T16:26:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.co.uk\/skinlab\/?p=111951"},"modified":"2023-01-13T09:58:11","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T09:58:11","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Karl Lawrence is a dermatology researcher with 10 years\u2019 experience and a PhD in photodermatology from King\u2019s College London. His research focuses on developing new UV filters, improving sunscreens, and investigating the benefits and dangers of UV exposure.<\/em><\/p>\n

Applying sunscreen to your skin protects you from the damage caused by UV exposure, and the active ingredients that help them do that are called SPF filters. There are two main types of filters used in SPF products: chemical and mineral. Some sunscreens use both, while others contain only one \u2014 but what\u2019s the difference between them? This is how each type of filter works, what their benefits are and who should use them.<\/p>\n

What are chemical and mineral SPF filters? <\/strong>
\nChemical filters are also sometimes called \u2018organic filters\u2019. That doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re living or natural \u2014 in the chemistry world, \u2018organic\u2019 is a type of chemical structure. If you\u2019re looking for them on an ingredients list, here are some examples of common chemical filters:
\nEthylhexyl salicylate
\nOctocrylene
\nButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane<\/p>\n

There are two mineral \u2014 or \u2018inorganic\u2019 \u2014 filters commonly used in sunscreens: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.<\/p>\n

How do they work?<\/strong>
\nChemical filters are made up of a type of molecule called chromophores, which absorb harmful radiation. When you apply them to your skin, they absorb the UV rays from the sun and release them harmlessly as heat. Sunscreens often contain a blend of chemical UV filters, because each one only blocks certain UV wavelengths \u2014 you can learn more about different UV wavelengths here<\/a>. The filters are usually categorised by the part of the UV spectrum they deal with, either UVA or UVB. Throughout the day, chemical filters absorb UV light, and that changes their chemical structure. This means they only keep you protected for a limited time. So, to stay protected, it\u2019s important that you reapply sunscreen often if you\u2019re out in the sun, sweating or swimming \u2014 never trust just one application.<\/p>\n

Many people think mineral filters work by reflecting radiation away from your skin, but they mostly work in a similar way to chemical filters, absorbing radiation and releasing it as heat. In fact, they only reflect around 4\u20135% of the UV radiation they\u2019re exposed to. They also remain on the surface of your skin, but remember, you still need to regularly reapply mineral sunscreen. It won\u2019t stay on your skin for a long period of time, especially if you\u2019re sweating, swimming or it comes into contact with your clothing. Their chemical structure and the way they work is what we call \u2018broad-spectrum\u2019, which means they\u2019re able to protect you from a large range of UV wavelengths. So, there might be a smaller ingredient list on mineral sunscreen you buy because fewer filters are needed to protect you. Unlike chemical filters, mineral ingredients aren\u2019t very reactive when they\u2019re mixed with other UV filters, so they\u2019re also easier to add into sunscreen formulas.<\/p>\n

I have sensitive skin \u2014 which SPF filter should I use?<\/strong>
\nChemical filters have been linked to skin sensitivity in the past, and some ingredients can trigger existing skin conditions like acne, rosacea or melasma. The evidence of irritation with these filters is low, though, so if you\u2019ve found a chemical sunscreen that works for you, you don\u2019t need to change your routine.<\/p>\n

Mineral filters can sometimes trigger acne symptoms, but there\u2019s otherwise very little evidence that mineral sunscreens cause skin reactions themselves \u2014 any reactions could be due to the thickness of the formulation, for example. This means they\u2019re usually recommended for people with sensitive skin or skin conditions, as well as children.<\/p>\n

Which SPF filters leave a white cast?<\/strong>
\nOne downside to mineral filters is that they often leave a white cast, which makes them more visible on black and brown skin. This is due to the increased particle size of molecules in the formula, and because it stays on the surface of the skin. To make them more inclusive to all skin tones, some mineral sunscreens are tinted to make them blendable.<\/p>\n

Chemical filters are popular because their formulas are lightweight and easy to apply. They also tend to be colourless and absorb UV exposure in a different way, so they don\u2019t leave a white cast behind on black or brown skin.<\/p>\n

Are mineral sunscreens safer than chemical sunscreens?<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s no concrete evidence that one type of SPF filter is safer than the other. There\u2019s been discourse that some chemical filters can absorb through your skin and be harmful. These studies only looked at people applying a very large amount of sunscreen to their bodies, not the recommended dose, so they need to be taken with a pinch of salt. It\u2019s also important to balance the benefits of sunscreen in preventing skin cancers \u2014 which have been proven \u2014 with the risks, which are very low.<\/p>\n

Are SPF filters harmful to the environment?<\/strong>
\nThe environmental impact of sunscreens is a big talking point right now. During lab testing, some chemical SPF ingredients have been shown to affect coral and fish, and they\u2019re also thought to build up in the environment. The actual consequences of this in nature aren\u2019t certain, but many regions have banned certain ingredients until we learn more about them.<\/p>\n

There are also some studies that show mineral filters may be harmful at high concentrations, and could damage the environment. We still don\u2019t know enough about whether this is true with normal usage, though, because all these tests have happened in lab conditions with very concentrated products.<\/p>\n

Looking for more sun safety guides? Check out our blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t started your Dermatica journey yet, complete a free online consultation<\/a> today. Your formula is designed by dermatology experts with science-backed ingredients to help you achieve your skin goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Karl Lawrence is a dermatology researcher with 10 years\u2019 experience and a PhD in photodermatology from King\u2019s College London. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":112128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[176],"tags":[145,158,198,199],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters? - SkinLab<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters? - SkinLab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dr Karl Lawrence is a dermatology researcher with 10 years\u2019 experience and a PhD in photodermatology from King\u2019s College London. […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SkinLab\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-12-16T16:26:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-01-13T09:58:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/SPF-Filters-uai.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1509\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"754\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr Karl Lawrence\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr Karl Lawrence\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dr Karl Lawrence\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/person\/e36f67a25b2c0a776cb57260006d5551\"},\"headline\":\"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters?\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-16T16:26:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-13T09:58:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/\"},\"wordCount\":983,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Dermatology\",\"skincare\",\"spf\",\"UV wavelengths\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Skincare Simplified\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/\",\"name\":\"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters? - SkinLab\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-16T16:26:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-13T09:58:11+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/\",\"name\":\"SkinLab\",\"description\":\"Dermatica\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SkinLab\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Dermatica-Wordmark-Black-01.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Dermatica-Wordmark-Black-01.png\",\"width\":800,\"height\":168,\"caption\":\"SkinLab\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/person\/e36f67a25b2c0a776cb57260006d5551\",\"name\":\"Dr Karl Lawrence\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6df3f2973010766914d8fe4b44a26d1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6df3f2973010766914d8fe4b44a26d1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dr Karl Lawrence\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/author\/dr-karl-lawrence\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters? - SkinLab","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters? - SkinLab","og_description":"Dr Karl Lawrence is a dermatology researcher with 10 years\u2019 experience and a PhD in photodermatology from King\u2019s College London. […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/","og_site_name":"SkinLab","article_published_time":"2022-12-16T16:26:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-01-13T09:58:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1509,"height":754,"url":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/SPF-Filters-uai.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dr Karl Lawrence","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dr Karl Lawrence","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/"},"author":{"name":"Dr Karl Lawrence","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/person\/e36f67a25b2c0a776cb57260006d5551"},"headline":"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters?","datePublished":"2022-12-16T16:26:04+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-13T09:58:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/"},"wordCount":983,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#organization"},"keywords":["Dermatology","skincare","spf","UV wavelengths"],"articleSection":["Skincare Simplified"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/","name":"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters? - SkinLab","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-12-16T16:26:04+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-13T09:58:11+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/whats-the-difference-between-mineral-and-chemical-spf-filters\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What\u2019s The Difference Between Mineral And Chemical SPF Filters?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/","name":"SkinLab","description":"Dermatica","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#organization","name":"SkinLab","url":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Dermatica-Wordmark-Black-01.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Dermatica-Wordmark-Black-01.png","width":800,"height":168,"caption":"SkinLab"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/person\/e36f67a25b2c0a776cb57260006d5551","name":"Dr Karl Lawrence","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6df3f2973010766914d8fe4b44a26d1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6df3f2973010766914d8fe4b44a26d1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Dr Karl Lawrence"},"url":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/author\/dr-karl-lawrence\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112105"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112105"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112136,"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112105\/revisions\/112136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dermatica.com\/skinlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}