Why do you need to know the details of sunblock vs. sunscreen?
You know that you need sun protection if you love your skin. However, as you pass through the supermarket or beauty store stalls, you notice that skin protections are mainly available as sunblock or sunscreen.
You know that both these products can protect you from the sun, but why should there be sunblock and sunscreen? What makes them different from each other, and which is better?
Difference Between UVA and UVB
There are three classifications of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC.
The Earth’s atmosphere is capable of blocking the UVC unless you expose the skin on artificial lights with it. UVA and UVB are the only ones capable of passing through the planet’s atmosphere to cause multiple horrors of skin conditions.
You probably ask, “Why knowing about UVA and UVB is important when you are only here to learn about which is better between sunblock vs. sunscreen?”
It is because most sunscreens originally protected the skin only against the UVA. These products were not capable of giving UVB protection.
The UVA sun’s ray is one of the factors for skin aging. Therefore, if you are in your 20s and you are already looking like 30s, you can blame the UVA as one of the reasons for it. Moreover, UVA can pass through clouds and glass.
UVB, on the other hand, is capable of penetrating the skin deeply. It can damage the cell’s DNA, which can contribute to the development of skin cancer.
For this reason, you cannot just grab any skin protection on the shelf and feel at ease of walking under the sun without knowing how much your product can protect you.
Difference Between Sunblock and Sunscreen
Now, for the most awaited part, you want to know which between sunblock and sunscreen is better for your skin. The answer is none. None is better than the other because these products can protect you in different ways.
Sunscreen, popularly known as chemical sunscreen, filters the UV rays. Meanwhile, sunblock, the physical sunscreen, reflects them.
When it comes to consistency, sunblock is more challenging to apply on the skin because of its thick consistency. The reason for its texture is because of the active ingredients, which are titanium oxide and zinc oxide.
Meanwhile, the sunscreen is more applicable because of its thin consistency. Most sunscreens have avobenzone and oxybenzone as active ingredients.
Which Sun Protection Should You Choose?
You can choose either sunscreen or sunblock if what you only want is skin protection per se. Only make sure to read the labels and buy only the ones that read ‘broad spectrum’ on it.
Products offering sun protection with the ‘broad spectrum’ label, ensure that they can protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.
Also, do not believe if the label states ‘waterproof’ on it. Sunscreens are not entirely waterproof, because they can protect you in the waters only for up to 40 to 80 minutes. It only means that sunscreens can only be water-resistant. You need to reapply it after you get out of the water.
Moreover, if you choose between sunblock vs. sunscreen upon which is easier to apply, choose the sunscreen.
