You’ve probably read that mineral sunscreen ingredients (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) are preferable to commonly used chemical sunscreen ingredients. Why? Let’s start with how does sunscreen work and the difference between these two types of ingredients.

There are two types of UV rays that cause sun damage to the skin. UVA rays can penetrate the uppermost layers of skin and reach deeper layers and have the potential to cause long-term damage, like premature aging and skin cancer. UVB rays are those that cause sunburn and affect mainly the top layers of skin.

Natural mineral sunscreen ingredients protect the skin from damage by forming a physical barrier on top of the skin, reflecting UV rays. Chemical sunscreen ingredients work by soaking into the skin and absorbing UV rays before they can reach deeper layers of skin.

The problem is that some UV rays are still able to reach the uppermost layers of skin when you use chemical sunscreen.

But that’s not the only problem when it comes to chemical sunscreen ingredients. The most widely used come with a slew of potential health issues. Below is a snapshot of concerns over some of the most often used chemical sunscreen ingredients.

Octinoxate: Linked to hormonal disruption, cell proliferation in estrogen-responsive tumors, and alters the reproductive system in women and men.

Oxybenzone: Associated with allergic reactions and hormonal disruption.

Avobenzone: An organic sunscreen ingredient that is not as risky in terms of toxicity, but this ingredient breaks down quickly in the sun and is almost always paired with one of the chemical sunscreen ingredients above.