Niacinamide is a must have in your daily skin regime. There is abundant evidence for its ability to repair sun damaged skin by reducing abnormal pigmentation and fine lines. It also helps to reduce inflammatory conditions like acne and rosacea, as well as protect against infrared damage from the sun.

Both work in a similar way, however mineral sunscreen (zinc) does reflect more UV light. Physical (Mineral) Sunscreens = Inorganic UV filters (Zinc Oxide & titanium oxide). Chemical Sunscreens = Organic UV filters, aka everything else. Chemical sunscreens also provide a more of a lightweight feeling on your skin.

When looking at physical vs chemical sunscreens there are many key benefits and differences. Regardless of these differences both types of sunscreen are widely used to make broad spectrum sunscreens - that is, using a combination of filters to block UV rays. They are technically considered ‘organic’, as the UV filters used are organic chemicals (substances that contain carbon). On the other hand, Physical (mineral) sunscreens use Zinc Oxide as their UV filter.

They are known to cover less (only slightly) than what a chemical sunscreen would, but still provide broad spectrum coverage. For those with sensitive skin, mineral sunscreen is generally a safer option that has been known to cause less irritation and a great option for acne prone skin. Skin types can vary between individuals and that is why it is always important to patch test when introducing new products into your skin care.

Because you can’t hide from UV rays. Those suckers hang around all year! Anytime the UV index is above 3, you are at risk of sun damage. There’s a misconception that you only need to wear sunscreen to protect against sunburn. That's only half the story! It’s extremely important to wear a broad spectrum SPF daily as it protects against both UVA & UVB rays. UVA is responsible for skin aging (think, UVA = "A" for aging), and UVB is what generates a "burn" or redness to the skin (think, UVB = "B" for burn). Both can contribute to skin cancers, including deadly melanomas.

What makes a sunscreen broad spectrum, you ask? It’s simple. When a sunscreen protects from both UVA and UVB rays it’s considered to be broad spectrum. When looking at protection against UVA and UVB rays, zinc sunscreen is an effective and long lasting solution. Our zinc formulas provide a broad spectrum SPF 50+ and will protect your skin from harmful rays using physical components. Our Sticky Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50+ is water resistant (up to 4 hours) and it’s unique formula contains physical and chemical UV filters to account for maximum protection! Focus on the adventures while we’ve got you covered!

Both are two of the most common mineral sunscreen ingredients and are both found in physical sunscreen. This means they work by physically blocking (or reflecting) and absorbing the sun's UV rays. Research suggests that, unlike chemical sunscreen, physical sunscreen does reflect a small amount of radiation (around 5%), protecting from sun damage in a slightly different way.

In general, both physical sunscreens are effective and safe choices for UV protection. However, the main difference comes down to UVA/UVB protection. Zinc Oxide blocks out both shorter and longer UVA rays and provides great protection from UVB rays, making it the most effective mineral UV filter on the market. On the other hand, Titanium Dioxide, while working the same way as Zinc Oxide but its an inferior active. It is completely ineffective against long UVA rays and partially effective in short UVA rays, as a result sunscreen with Titanium Dioxide is not broad spectrum.

Here are some other differences:

Particle size: Zinc Oxide in sunscreen is available in larger particle sizes than Titanium Dioxide, making it more opaque and visible on the skin. However, the best zinc oxide sunscreens provide newer formulations that now use smaller particles that aren’t invisible on the skin. Aka Micronised Zinc.

Water resistance: Zinc Oxide is more water-resistant than Titanium Dioxide, so it may be a better choice for activities that involve water or sweating.

Sensitive skin types: Zinc Oxide tends to be better tolerated by people with sensitive skin, while some people may experience skin irritation or allergy to Titanium Dioxide based sunscreen.

Zinc Oxide is more photostable mineral sunscreen, which means that it doesn't break down as easily when exposed to sunlight.

Both Zinc Oxide and titanium dioxide (mineral sunscreens) are effective at blocking both UVA and UVB rays, but Zinc Oxide is slightly better at blocking UVA rays, while titanium dioxide is slightly better at blocking UVB rays.

Zinc Oxide has a thicker texture, which can make it more difficult to blend into the skin. However, newer forms of Zinc Oxide such as micronised zinc have been developed that are more cosmetically elegant and easier to apply. Micronised zinc technology has revolutionized the sunscreen industry, creating a mineral sunscreen that can be applied all over your body and is designed for everyday use.