(NEXSTAR) — Summer has officially arrived ( summer solstice (It rained on Thursday) and many of us are already feeling the heat.
If you are one of those trapped Heat Domeor maybe you’ve been to the beach, splash pad, park, or other outdoor space recently while spending time in the sun. Wherever you were, you may have noticed yourself applying sunscreen.
When choosing a bottle or can of sunscreen product, you must choose between sunscreen or sun cream.
A natural question may then arise: is there any difference?
The short answer is yes, but only semantically. Dr. Shilpi KhetarpalThe Cleveland Clinic dermatologist told Nexstar: More specifically, it’s the composition of the ingredients that’s the problem.
It’s worth noting that you will never (and shouldn’t) see products labeled “sunscreen” on store shelves. In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration Prohibited Manufacturers The company banned its products from being labeled as sunscreen because “these claims are exaggerated.”
That being said, there are some products that qualify as sunscreens based on their active ingredients.
“Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide act as a shield and reflect the sun’s rays,” Khetarpal said, explaining that these are also known as physical sunscreens, which are generally considered better at blocking UV rays.
Other sunscreens, namely chemical sunscreens, act like a sponge: Their ingredients soak up sunlight and essentially break it down so that it doesn’t have any harmful effects, Khetarpal said.
If you use a physical sunscreen (one that contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide), you’ll notice that it thickens a bit and leaves a white sheen.
Khetarpal recommends that people who burn easily or have a history of skin cancer use sunscreens with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide over other products, and the same goes for people with fair skin, including babies.
We also recommend that you: or necessary — Choose these products over chemical sunscreens.
In recent years, parts of Hawaii Key West have Two chemicals banned To protect the island’s marine ecosystem, we are working to remove chemicals found in sunscreens, oxybenzone, octinoxate and more.
Oxybenzone and octinoxate belong to a group of chemicals commonly used in sunscreens, but are not considered GRASE (Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective). Food and Drug AdministrationInstead, the agency said, “additional data is needed to show that sunscreens containing the chemical are GRASE.”
However, the FDA noted that this does not mean that oxybenzone and octinoxate are unsafe for use in sunscreens. More information is needed to determine whether they are GRASE. advice Use a sunscreen that is less than 5% of either.
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are considered GRASE ingredients because the FDA has “found sufficient safety data to support the proposition that sunscreen products containing these ingredients (at concentrations up to 25%) are GRASE.”
Whether you use a physical or chemical sunscreen, Khetarpal recommends looking for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30. You might also want to opt for a water-resistant sunscreen if you plan on swimming or sweating.
However, don’t look for anything that says “waterproof” or “sweatproof” on the label.
When the FDA banned “sunscreen” products in 2011, it ruled that manufacturers could not make waterproof or sweatproof claims, because it would overstate the products’ effectiveness.
Companies can make water-resistance claims, but they must state “whether the sunscreen’s effectiveness lasts for 40 or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating, based on standard tests,” the FDA said.
