Mineral vs. synthetic sunscreen ingredients

The research is clear: you need to wear sunscreen every day, rain or shine, to prevent both skin cancer and skin’s premature ageing. But what if you don’t like wearing sunscreen, even though you know you should? Perhaps, in the past, your sunscreen products have caused breakouts, irritated your skin, or left an unpleasant look or feel. Those are all valid concerns, but the solution isn’t to ditch your sun protection.

Rather, it’s to find a formula that works for your skin type as it guards against the insidious damage of unprotected sun exposure. This could take some experimentation, so it may be helpful to understand the differences between sunscreen ingredients – what they are, how they work, and how they feel on skin.

The two types of sunscreen ingredients are mineral and synthetic, and both are equally protective. Further reassuring is that each can be included in formulas created for every skin type. For example, if you have normal to oily skin, there are weightless, non-greasy options; if you have normal to dry skin, it’s possible to find skin-smoothing, hydrating SPF products.

What’s the difference between mineral and synthetic sunscreen ingredients?

The differences aren't about which type is more effective; rather, it comes down to personal preference and how sensitive your skin is – mineral sunscreens are considered the most gentle options.

Mineral sunscreens: There are only two mineral sunscreen ingredients: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. They work in skin's uppermost layers to both absorb and, to a lesser extent, deflect and scatter the sun’s harmful rays. These mineral ingredients are sometimes referred to as physical sunscreens or physical blockers, although that’s not a factual representation of how they work.
Synthetic sunscreens: There are over 30 synthetic sunscreen ingredients, all of which absorb into the top layers of skin, where they work similar to mineral sunscreens: by scattering and deflecting the sun’s harmful rays, and by converting UV rays into heat and “deactivating” them. (Don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing.) Common synthetic sunscreen ingredients include oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, and avobenzone. These are sometimes labelled “chemical sunscreens,” which is both misleading and false. All skincare ingredients, even water, are chemicals.

Interesting fact: In the world of skincare, mineral sunscreen ingredients are referred to as organic, but they aren’t. In the real world of science, mineral sunscreen ingredients are actually inorganic chemicals. Don’t let these marketing terms influence your decisions.

It’s important to know that there’s nothing inherently better or worse about formulas containing either mineral or synthetic sunscreen ingredients. What matters is that they protect your skin from sun damage. Yes, one or the other may be a better choice for your skin, but the ingredients themselves (not the vocabulary used to sell them) should help make that determination.

Which sunscreen is best?

As we said, the right sunscreen for you is the one you’ll look forward to applying daily. It should be rated SPF 30 or higher and provide broad-spectrum protection to prevent damage from the sun’s killer UVA and UVB rays. Beyond that, to make an informed choice, you need to know how your skin type responds to different sunscreen ingredients and textures: those containing mineral actives, synthetic actives, or a combination of both.

Mineral sunscreens:

Begin to work immediately on application, but must be absorbed to be most effective and to ensure they don’t wipe off on clothing.
Have almost no risk of irritating skin.
May leave a white cast, especially on darker skin tones, but the best pure mineral sunscreens go on almost sheer.
May need more careful, liberal application because of the way they work in formulas. So, go ahead, slather these on for brilliant protection!
Do not penetrate past skin's uppermost layers.

Synthetic sunscreens:

Begin to work immediately on application, but must be absorbed to be most effective and to ensure they don’t wipe off on clothing.
Are generally found in products with thinner textures.
Tend to be preferred for water-resistant formulas because they don’t turn milky-looking when you sweat or get wet. But, as with any sunscreen, you must reapply them often.
Can be sensitizing for those with extra-sensitive skin.
Can penetrate the skin and be absorbed in small amounts that are not shown to have health risks.

Whichever sunscreen you choose, it’s crucial to use it year round. Even if you think you’re not at risk for a burn, daylight – even through clouds – will age skin and increase the risk of skin cancer. Scary but true: the sun’s UVA rays come through windows. You won’t feel the damage, but it’s happening nonetheless.

Which Paula’s Choice Skincare SPF products are best for my skin?

We can’t stress enough the importance of protecting skin daily with a moisturiser, primer, or foundation (better yet, all three) rated SPF 30 or higher; which is why we’ve created a range of light-feeling, skin-nourishing sunscreen products for every skin type – all designed to help maintain your skin’s healthy appearance. It may take a bit of experimenting to find the formula your skin prefers, but the results will be well worth the effort.

If you’re prone to breakouts or tend toward redness, try one of our lightweight mineral moisturisers with SPF, created for oily, dry and aging skin. If a mineral sunscreen doesn’t seem like the best choice for your skin type, or if you’re looking for an extra-sheer SPF moisturiser for oily or ageing skin, one of our synthetic formulas will absolutely fit the bill. For those with signs of ageing who prefer an even higher SPF rating and synthetic sunscreen ingredients, we recommend either our Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer SPF 50 or Resist Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50. Finally, if you already have an SPF moisturiser you love, or want the added protection of layering your sunscreen, try our SPF 30 primer.

Below you'll find a complete list of our mineral and synthetic sunscreen products.

Paula's Choice products which contain mineral sunscreen:

Paula's Choice products which contain synthetic sunscreen: