Why Zinc Oxide Is Your Best Defense Against Sun Damage

Want to help your skin in its relentless battle against the harmful rays from the sun? Then zinc oxide may be the exact skincare ingredient you’ve been looking for.

Sunscreen might not be the most glamorous product in your skincare arsenal, but if you truly care about slowing down the signs of visible aging, it's undoubtedly the most effective. How so? Because the sun's dastardly UV radiation is seriously bad news for your skin.

Research shows that UV radiation directly affects the structural integrity of your skin by causing oxidative stress to the cells, damaging DNA and breaking down collagen and elastin fibers. In fact, studies have shown that exposure to the sun is potentially responsible for around 80 percent of visible skin aging. Maybe even more.

Not only that, but UV radiation is also the biggest cause of skin cancer – the most common cancer in the US which affects around one in five Americans during their lifetime.

What can you do about all this doom and gloom? Apply sunscreen. Specifically one that harnesses the proven powers of the mighty zinc oxide.

The Importance Of Sunscreen For Healthy Aging

We constantly stress the importance of applying daily sunscreen to all areas of exposed skin. It just makes no sense not to. You see, sunscreen works like an invisible shield on your skin, safeguarding it from the wrath of UV radiation. This protects the barrier function and helps to keep your DNA, collagen and elastin levels in check, thereby reducing the formation of premature wrinkles, sagging, dullness, dehydration, even dark spots.

But we get it, sunscreen can be oh-so-tiresome. It’s no fancy retinol serum or satisfying face scrub, after all. So if you’re going to go there – which you are, of course ­– you need reassurance that the sunscreen you’re applying is doing the best it can for your skin. 

This begs the question: are certain sunscreen ingredients better than others? Actually yes, we believe they are. And one that sits heads above the rest? Zinc oxide.

Your Sunscreen Options ­– Explained

There are two types of sunscreen: chemical and mineral.

Chemical sunscreens utilize, yes you guessed it, chemical ingredients to protect your skin. These chemicals work by absorbing UV radiation like a sponge, then breaking them down into heat and releasing them back out through the skin. Examples of chemical sunscreens include oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate and octinoxate.

Mineral sunscreens, on the other hand, use ingredients that sit on top of the skin where they physically block UV radiation from penetrating the surface. The most common mineral sun blockers are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which, consequently, the FDA currently propose are the only two safe and effective sunscreen ingredients in the beauty industry.

While chemical sunscreens are often deemed more elegant and ‘better’ in texture and wearability than their mineral cousins, technology has improved mineral-based sunscreens leaps and bounds in recent years. Furthermore, questions are constantly being asked about the potential environmental impact of certain chemical sunscreens. Oxybenzone and octinoxate, for example, are banned in the entire state of Hawaii because studies have shown they may cause damage to the marine environment and ecosystems.

Mineral sunscreens, however, are a much better friend to the environment. They’re also very well tolerated by the skin and many skin experts actually believe them to be more effective than their chemical alternatives. We like that. Another thing: you know that age-old complaint about mineral sunscreen being thick, goopy and leaving a white cast on the skin? Ancient history. Thanks to modern formulations, many are now lightweight, almost invisible and a joy to use.

This moves us neatly onto zinc oxide, one of, if not the most reliable mineral sunscreen used in the sun care industry. Read on for five reasons why we believe this powerful defender deserves the spotlight in your daily skincare routine. Other than the fact that it kicks UV ass, of course!

5 Reasons Why Zinc Oxide Stands Out From The Rest

1. It’s A Physical Blocker

As mentioned, we believe mineral sun blockers are far superior to chemical sunscreens. They physically block UV from getting under your skin – what can be better than that? Zinc oxide is also extremely photostable which means it doesn’t degrade or loss efficacy when it’s exposed to sunlight.

Our reef-safe SPF30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C uses non-nano zinc oxide at the ultimate level to safeguard your skin and respect our oceans.

2. It Protects From UVA AND UVB Radiation

Did you know that SPF is only an indication of UVB protection? It has no relevancy when it comes to UVA radiation which is just as damaging. This is why it’s important to choose a ‘broad-spectrum’ sunscreen for year-round use. Broad-spectrum indicates that a product defends your skin from both UVA and UVB, and zinc oxide is the literal queen of broad-spectrum protection.

Great news: our SPF30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C is broad-spectrum all the way. 

3. It Works Straight Away

Because it sits on top of the skin’s surface, zinc oxide provides instant protection against sun damage. Chemical sunscreens need to be applied a good 20 minutes before exposure. We don’t know about you but we don’t have time for that kind of waiting around.

4. It’s Highly Unlikely To Irritate Your Skin

Zinc oxide is super gentle on the skin. This makes it an excellent choice if you have sensitive, dry or acne-prone skin. It’s also often the choice for babies and individuals who have eczema or other chronic skin conditions.

Of course, it’s always wise to patch test any active skincare formulation on a small area of skin before using it regularly for the first time, but if you’re looking for a relatively safe sunscreen bet, we highly recommend zinc oxide.

5. It Provides Even More Skin Benefits

Not only is zinc oxide an absolute powerhouse in the defense against sun damage but it also offers other benefits to your skin.

First up are its anti-inflammatory properties which are great for soothing sensitive skin issues like redness and irritation. Zinc oxide also shows antibacterial qualities and, when you couple this with the fact that it’s non pore-clogging, you get a pretty fantastic sun protective ingredient that won’t cause congestion or, worse yet, encourage pesky breakouts.

Finally, its protective barrier helps promote healing and is a great shield from other external aggressors like wind and pollution. This makes it a very useful tool in preventing unwanted dryness and dehydration.

It makes you wonder, therefore, why more skincare products don’t harness the powers of this gentle, sun protective giant, right? Well, we can reveal a very exciting new zinc oxide product coming to the TruSkin range very soon. Hint: it’s a facial serum… but it’s also a sunscreen. 

Excited? Us? You bet we are.