04/12/2026
☀️ CHEMICAL vs. PHYSICAL SUNSCREEN — KEEPING IT SIMPLE
🛡️ Physical (Mineral) Sunscreen
(thick white, often seen on the noses of lifegaurds)
Sits on top of the skin and reflects UV rays.
Active ingredients are minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
✔ Works immediately
✔ Great for sensitive & post-treatment skin
🧴 Chemical Sunscreen
Absorbs into the skin and converts UV rays into heat before they reach deeper layers. Like the Dermis.
Active ingredients often start with oxy-, oct-, avobenzone, etc.
✔ Lightweight, more invisible finish
👉 Important: Even if you don’t burn, getting color (a tan) is still skin damage.
In aesthetics, color = damage, which leads to:
• Wrinkles
• Loss of elasticity
• Pigmentation issues
• Those “random” spots that show up later in life
💡 HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT SPF YOU NEED?
Take how long it takes your skin to burn without protection.
Example: If you burn in 10 minutes
Using SPF 30 → 10 × 30 = 300 minutes of protection (in theory)
⚠️ BUT… sweating, touching your face, swimming, and sun intensity all break SPF down (shortening the 300min)
👉 After reapplying, protection decreases to a half life (150min) — after that it doesn't matter if you apply a 500 SPF, you’ll still get color. Prolonged, all-day sun exposure still leads to damage.
✨ Fact: Be sure to cleanse your skin at night. Sunscreens can become comedogenic overnight and you can build a tolerance to them risking their efficiency. We weren’t meant to be in the sun from sunup to sundown without protection. If you’re investing in your skin (facials, peels, laser), SPF is non-negotiable.
📅 Need help choosing the right SPF for your skin?
👉 Message “SPF” to 717-693-2109 or ask me at your next appointment.
*** I ship the best skincare to every US state.