Mineral-only sunscreens are making huge inroads into the sunscreen market, driven by fears of “chemicals”, a belief that “mineral” products are inherently safer, and confusion about how sunscreens actually protect our skin.

How mineral sunscreens actually work is not widely understood, and neither is what’s actually in them. Experts tested ten of these sunscreens in the lab and reviewed the ingredient lists of over 100 more to clarify what’s going on.

They verified that many products marketed as “mineral-only” rely on a broad palette of chemicals, not only to make them nicer to use but also to boost their sun protection factor (SPF) rating.

Mineral and chemical sunscreens

Most sunscreens, a photoprotective topical product applied to the skin that helps shield against sunburn and reduce

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