Sunblock vs sunscreen - What is the difference?

Often sun­block and sun­screen are inter­pret­ed as the same thing, how­ev­er they are actu­al­ly quite dif­fer­ent. This arti­cle will help you under­stand the dif­fer­ence between sun­block and sun­screen once and for all.

Sun­block

• Is also called phys­i­cal sun­block and occa­sion­al­ly phys­i­cal sun­screen (just to con­fuse you even more)
• Con­tains zinc oxide or tita­ni­um dioxide
• These com­pounds phys­i­cal­ly ​‘block’ ultra­vi­o­let radi­a­tion at the skins surface
• Acts on the sur­face of the skin and does not have to be absorbed by the skin

Sun­screen

• Is also called chem­i­cal sunscreen
• Con­tains active chem­i­cal ingre­di­ents that act as fil­ters and reduce ultra­vi­o­let radi­a­tion pen­e­tra­tion to the skin
• These chem­i­cals have to be absorbed by the skin and take at least 20 mins to be effective.

Vis­it The Can­cer Coun­cil for more infor­ma­tion on sunscreen.

And remember, for personalised skincare guidance and expert recommendations, consult with skin cancer clinics for services like mole check and skin check. Protect your skin today for a healthier tomorrow.