Mineral Sunscreen vs. Chemical Sunscreen: What is the Best?

At first glance, sunscreen seems simple: you arrive at a resort, buy a sunscreen for yourself and your child at the nearest shop, choose a well-known global brand that everyone uses — and assume it will be fine.

However, those of us who have spent years working with gentle therapeutic products and organic cosmetics know how subtly and actively even small amounts of active substances can affect the human body. That is why we decided to take a closer look at the wide variety of sunscreen filters and the way they protect human skin. Now we are sharing what we have learned with you.

Let’s clarify an important point right away: in certified organic cosmetics — with eco-certifications such as COSMOS, BDIH, or Ecocert — modern chemical filters are not allowed. This applies, for example, to the German brand i+m (iplusm) and the Dutch brand Petit&Jolie. Natural cosmetics standards allow only mineral, also known as physical, filters.

Modern Physical, or Mineral, Sunscreens

Examples in organic cosmetics: i+m Facial Sun Cream SPF 50 and Petit&Jolie Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.

Look for the following ingredients in the formula: Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide.

Modern organic brands have learned how to surround physical filters with plant oils or emollients, such as Coco-Caprylate/Caprate derived from coconut. This significantly improves the texture and helps minimize the white cast on the skin.

Benefits of Mineral Filters

Absolute safety and eco-integrity
Mineral filters do not enter the bloodstream and are permitted for babies, as in the case of Petit&Jolie, and for pregnant women.

Hypoallergenic properties
Zinc oxide does not irritate the skin. On the contrary, it helps calm inflammation and soothe the skin. This is why it is often used in diaper rash ointments.

Broad-spectrum protection
Zinc effectively blocks both UVB rays, which cause sunburn, and long UVA rays, which are responsible for photoaging, including wrinkles.

Immediate protection
Mineral filters do not need time to “activate.” They start protecting the skin immediately after application.

Ocean-safe, reef-friendly protection
Non-nano mineral filters do not harm coral reefs.

Possible Drawbacks

The main criticism of mineral sunscreens is usually their texture and the possible “whitening effect.” However, modern technologies — for example, those used by i+m — help minimize the white cast with liquid plant oils and make the texture much easier to spread on the skin.

How Physical, or Mineral, Filters Work

Examples include Zinc Oxide used in cosmetic products by i+m from Germany and Petit&Jolie from the Netherlands.

Contrary to the old myth that mineral filters work only like a mirror, their real mechanism is more sophisticated.

Reflection and scattering: around 5–10% of protection
Physical filters consist of microscopic mineral particles. When sunlight reaches the skin, these particles do act like tiny screens, reflecting and scattering part of the visible light and UVB rays — the rays responsible for sunburn.

Absorption and transformation: around 90–95% of protection
This is the main secret confirmed by modern research. Zinc oxide is a semiconductor. When a dangerous UVA ray reaches it — a ray that penetrates deep into the dermis and contributes to aging — the mineral absorbs its energy. This energy moves the electrons in zinc atoms to a higher energy level and is then safely released as a tiny amount of heat that you do not feel.

A simple analogy: a physical sunscreen on the skin is like a layer of protective mineral “armor.” It takes the hit from ultraviolet radiation, partly reflecting it and mostly neutralizing its destructive energy inside its crystal structure.

Modern Chemical Sunscreens

Important: chemical filters are found only in conventional cosmetics. They are not used in truly certified organic cosmetics.

When people talk about “modern chemical filters,” they usually mean stable new-generation filters such as Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, Uvinul A Plus, and Mexoryl SX. These are not the old chemical filters, such as benzophenone or oxybenzone, which were known for irritating the skin and raising concerns about hormonal disruption.

Benefits of Modern Chemical Filters

Excellent textures
They are completely transparent on all skin tones.

Lightweight feel
They sit beautifully under makeup and can be formulated as weightless gels, essences, and fluids.

High stability
New-generation filters do not break down under sunlight for several hours. In urban conditions, they may not need to be reapplied every two hours, as long as you are not swimming or sweating heavily.

Possible Drawbacks

Organic certification standards
No chemical filter, even the most advanced one, can receive a COSMOS organic certification, because these filters are products of chemical synthesis.

Potential for irritation
Although modern filters are much gentler than older ones, they are still less suitable than pure zinc oxide for reactive, damaged skin or for babies.

Environmental footprint
The question of their complete safety for marine ecosystems is still being studied by scientists.

How Chemical SPF Filters Work

Chemical SPF filters work like a “trap” for ultraviolet radiation. Unlike physical filters, which sit on the skin like a reflective shield, chemical filters work at the molecular level in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis.

The process works as follows:

Principle of Action: Energy Transformation

Step 1: Penetration
The cream is applied to the skin. The molecules of the chemical filters settle into the uppermost, horny layer of the epidermis. This is why sunscreen should be applied 15–20 minutes before going outside — it needs time to distribute evenly.

Step 2: Absorption
When a sun ray, either UVA or UVB, reaches the skin, the chemical filter molecule takes the hit. It absorbs the energy quanta of ultraviolet radiation.

Step 3: Molecular excitation
After absorbing the energy, the filter molecule enters an “excited” state. The molecular bonds inside it begin to vibrate.

Step 4: Transformation and release
To return to a stable state, the molecule must release the excess energy. It transforms harmful radiation into safe heat and disperses it from the surface of the skin. The skin itself does not heat up in a way you can feel.

Old vs. New Generation Chemical Filters

Parameter	Older Filters, Unstable	New Filters, Stable / Encapsulated
Examples in formulas	Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Octinoxate	Tinosorb S/M, Uvinul A Plus, Mexoryl SX/XL, Parsol Shield
Photostability	Low. While absorbing sunlight, the molecule breaks down. After about two hours in the sun, the cream stops protecting effectively and needs to be reapplied.	High. The molecules can release heat repeatedly without breaking down. In city conditions, they may not need to be reapplied throughout the day.
Skin reaction	May cause allergies, eye irritation, and generate free radicals as they break down.	Hypoallergenic, with larger molecules that do not penetrate deeper than the stratum corneum and do not enter the bloodstream.
Texture	Can feel oily and often require a heavier base.	Weightless, often water-based, and barely noticeable on the face.

The biggest advantage of modern chemical filters is that they allow us to wear SPF 50 with a texture that feels like a light fluid, water, or serum — completely invisible on the skin.

Because chemical filters convert UV rays into heat, they should be used with caution by people with pronounced couperose or rosacea. The tiny heat-release reaction on the skin may trigger redness in visible blood vessels. In such cases, dermatologists more often recommend physical filters.

What Is SPF?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor.

In simple terms, it is a numerical indicator of how effectively a cosmetic product — such as a cream, fluid, or stick — protects the skin from UVB rays, the type of ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn, redness, and DNA damage in skin cells.

What Do SPF 15, 30, or 50 Mean?

There is a common myth that SPF shows how long you can safely stay in the sun. For example, if you burn without sunscreen in 10 minutes, then with SPF 30 you can supposedly stay outside for 300 minutes. In reality, this is not quite how it works, because the sun’s intensity changes throughout the day.

Mathematically, SPF shows what proportion of ultraviolet rays a sunscreen blocks or allows through:

• SPF 15 blocks about 93% of UVB rays.
• SPF 30 blocks about 97% of UVB rays.
• SPF 50 blocks about 98% of UVB rays.
• SPF 100 blocks about 99% of UVB rays.

This means that the real difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is only about 1% of protection. And so far, no sunscreen in the world provides a true 100% block.

What Does SPF Not Tell You?

SPF alone shows the level of protection only against UVB rays, the rays that cause sunburn. But there are also UVA rays. They do not burn the skin in the same way, but they penetrate deeper, damage collagen, and contribute to photoaging, wrinkles, and pigmentation.

That is why a good modern sunscreen should offer broad-spectrum protection. To understand whether a sunscreen protects against aging UVA rays, look for additional markings on the packaging.

What to Look for on the Label

UVA in a circle — European standard
This is the most reliable sign for European cosmetics. It means that the level of UVA protection is at least one third of the stated SPF. For example, if the product is SPF 50, its UVA protection will be at least 16.

PA rating with plus signs: PA+, PA++, PA+++, PA++++ — Asian standard
This is usually found on Korean and Japanese sunscreens. The more plus signs, the stronger the protection. For summer in the city or for the beach, the best option is the maximum rating: PA++++.

Broad Spectrum — American standard
If you see this wording on an American sunscreen, it means the product has passed a critical wavelength test and protects against both UVB and UVA rays.

PPD — Persistent Pigment Darkening
This is a numerical indicator showing how many times the cream reduces the dose of UVA radiation. If the PPD is 20, it means your skin is protected 20 times better than it would be without the cream. A good beach-level indicator is PPD 16 or higher.

Boots Star Rating — 3 to 5 stars — British standard
This shows the ratio of UVA to UVB protection. The more stars, the more balanced the protection. Four or five stars is ideal.

Important: if the tube only says SPF 30 or SPF 50 and does not show any of these five markings, the cream protects mainly against sunburn, meaning UVB rays, while your skin may remain insufficiently protected against photoaging caused by UVA rays.

Summary: What Should You Choose?

If your goal is the cleanest and safest possible formula — for example, like those used by i+m or Petit&Jolie — then modern physical filters are your best choice. They protect the skin without the risk of allergy, and thanks to modern plant-based formulas, with ingredients such as vitamin E and bisabolol, as in i+m products, they also care for the skin.

If absolute invisibility on the skin is your top priority, then you may prefer new-generation chemical filters.