What makes for the best mineral sunscreens for the face for every day: sunscreens with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide?
Introduction: Comparing Mineral UV Filters for the best daily mineral facial sunscreen. Titanium Dioxide versus Zinc Oxide
How have these Mineral UV filters changed over time and how does this affect newer mineral SPF formulas
Which Mineral UV Filter looks better on the skin?
Which Mineral UV Filter gives the least amount of white cast?
Which Mineral UV Filter gives the best SPF protection (UVB protection)?
Which Mineral UV Filter gives the best UVA protection?
Introduction: Comparing Titanium Dioxide versus Zinc Oxide for best overall facial mineral sunscreen for every day
If you are on the hunt for a great mineral sunscreen for the face for every day, then look no further. We are going to be taking a close look at which mineral UV filter provides the best protection with the least white cast and will provide the best daily option to protect against the signs of skin aging and skin cancer. So which is it? Should you buy a sunscreen with titanium dioxide as it’s only active ingredient, or zinc oxide or look for one with both? Let’s talk pros and cons in terms of aesthetics, white cast and then best broad spectrum protection including SPF and UVA protection.
Ava Isa Every Morning SPF 30 with 25% zinc oxide. All Mineral Facial sunscreen designed to be used every day.
How have these Mineral UV filters changed over time and how does this affect newer mineral SPF formulas
Mineral UV filters have come a long way since they first started being used in sunscreens, popularized by the coloured nose coats lifeguards and surfers wore in the 90’s. In a bid to make these filters more aesthetic, they have become smaller in size. Titanium dioxide has had its particle size reduced to be typically what is considered nano sized (les than 100 nm). For zinc oxide, there are more varied options. Some forms are considered nano sized, others use particles that are above 100 nm but then grouped together to form structures that are over 1000 nm in size. However, it’s important to note that even if the have become so small as to be considered nano in size (less than 100 nanometers), they are still huge in the world of sunscreen UV filters. Keep in mind- even nano titanium dioxide is relatively big compared to common ‘chemical’ UV filters. Compare nano titanium dioxide (e.g. 99 nm or less) compared to regular sized octinoxate that measures at .5 nm. Nano sized mineral UV filters can be up to 200x bigger than conventional chemical UV filters.
Both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are considered particulate grade UV filters. They cannot be dissolved in a formula (like sugar in water), they have to be dispersed and formulators have to create strong dispersion systems to ‘hold’ these heavy particles up in formulas to give great, even, and uniform protection. However, just because these are ‘big’ UV filters, it does not mean that you cannot have beautiful aesthetic formulas that are enjoyable to use as your daily SPF.
Which Mineral UV Filter looks better on the skin?
For the purpose of comparing titanium dioxide versus zinc oxide in terms of aesthetics, it’s important to note that concentration of each UV filter matters as well. You can have a formula with either 1% titanium dioxide or 1% zinc oxide and it will be highly aesthetic in terms of how it applies, texture, how lightweight it feels on the skin etc. However, that type of formula is more like a moisturizer or other skincare products than a true SPF. It would be like having cough syrup with no medicine in it; it is just sugar water, and sunscreens with little to no active ingredients in them are just lotions.
Instead, let’s say you have a formula with 20% titanium dioxide versus one with 20% zinc oxide. In terms of aesthetics, it’s challenging but quite possible to create formulas that are lightweight, spread easily, dry down on the skin nicely for both options. You can formulate using either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide and get a nice feeling SPF, however, there is a huge difference in terms of the chance for a white cast and quality of protection.
Which Mineral UV Filter gives the least amount of white cast?
Without a doubt, you can have a truly transparent mineral sunscreen if it contains zinc oxide only. You cannot have a truly transparent titanium dioxide formula with current technology. This comes down to the scientific principle of refractive index, i.e. the way an object bends light around itself. Titanium dioxide has a higher refractive index than zinc oxide and cannot be transparent.
With this in mind, any sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and wants to minimize the look of a white cast on the skin will have to be tinted. However, there is an important caveat when it comes to tinting a sunscreen and having it look natural on all skin tones, especially for people of colour. Titanium dioxide will add a white background to any formula and this means that the tint will have to match closely to the skin tone it’s looking to match. When you tint something with a more transparent background, you will have greater flexibility in terms of the range of skin tones a tint can look good or natural on.
Which Mineral UV Filter gives the best SPF protection (UVB protection)?
Titanium dioxide is more efficient in the UVB range than zinc oxide. Typically, we think of titanium dioxide potentially being able to provide 2.6 SPF points for every 1% concentration used, compared to the 1.4 SPF points for every 1% concentration used for zinc oxide. This means that it’s quite normal for a zinc oxide only sunscreen to have an SPF of 30 even if it contains the maximum concentration of 25%. If you see a zinc oxide only sunscreen with a disproportionately higher SPF than what the active concentration would normally allow for, it’s worth looking at the inactive ingredient section to see if it contains butyloctyl salicylate, tridecyl salicylate or even natural ingredients like bisabolol, aloe vera etc (click here to read why).
Many consumers have been told that they need to use at least an SPF 50 and thus it is quite common to add titanium dioxide to a mineral formula to increase the SPF. Other than a potential white cast, there is no downside to doing this if the formula contains sufficient zinc oxide. We say if as a huge caveat though, and this relates to our next question as to which mineral filter gives the best UVA protection.
Which Mineral UV Filter gives the best UVA protection?
Titanium dioxide can give mostly UVB or can extend its protection to shortwave UVA, depending on the particle size. As the particle size gets smaller, the protection (attenuation) curve of titanium dioxide shifts more into the UVB range and gives less short wave UVA and little to no long wave UVA into the visible light spectrum. It can also give protection in the infrared portion of light. Titanium dioxide does not adequately give long wave UVA in comparison to zinc oxide. This is crucial to note- as no sunscreen that contains only titanium dioxide can provide sufficient long wave UVA protection.
Zinc oxide, on the other hand, extends its protection from the UVB, through to the short wave UVA, long wave UVA into the visible light spectrum. When used in sufficient concentration (as close to 25% concentration), it truly gives broad spectrum protection in a way that titanium dioxide simply cannot.
Summary
Formulators may choose to use titanium dioxide in their sunscree formulas to increase the SPF, provide some additional short wave UVA and some infrared protection. Since titanium dioxide can add a white background to a formula, most versions will be tinted to offset this. At The Sunscreen Company, we prefer zinc oxide as our main choice of UV filter as it provides better long wave protection and even visible light attenuation. When used at a sufficient concentration as close to the maximum of 25%, it gives excellent broad-spectrum protection. While we would use titanium dioxide to optimize protection or work synergistically with titanium dioxide, we would never use it on its own as the sole UV filter.
