Short answer: both types work. Mineral filters sit on the skin surface, work immediately and suit reactive skin, but can leave a white cast. Chemical filters absorb into the top skin layer, feel lighter and blend invisibly, but need roughly 15–20 minutes before exposure. The choice that actually affects your protection is not mineral versus chemical — it is whether you apply enough and reapply.
How each type works
Mineral (physical) filters
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. They form a layer on the skin that reflects and scatters UV, and to some degree absorbs it. Because they work by physical presence, they are effective as soon as they are on. Zinc oxide gives good broad-spectrum coverage including UVA.
Advantages: immediate protection, very low irritation potential, generally the preferred option for children, rosacea-prone skin and post-procedure skin.
Drawbacks: the white cast, which is more pronounced on deeper skin tones; a thicker feel; and a tendency to leave marks on clothing. Tinted mineral formulas address the cast reasonably well.
Chemical (organic) filters
Avobenzone, octocrylene, tinosorb and others. They absorb UV radiation and dissipate it as a small amount of heat.
Advantages: lightweight, invisible on all skin tones, and much easier to wear under makeup or every single day — which matters, because the sunscreen you actually use beats the one you avoid.
Drawbacks: they need time to bind before exposure, some filters degrade in sunlight and require reapplication more diligently, and a minority of people find specific filters irritating around the eyes.
The thing that matters more than either
SPF is measured in laboratories at 2 mg of product per square centimetre of skin. Translated into real life, that is roughly:
- Face and neck: about half a teaspoon
- Full adult body: about 30 ml — a shot glass
Most people apply somewhere between a quarter and a half of that. Because the relationship between quantity and protection is not linear, applying half the tested amount does not give you half the SPF — it gives you considerably less. An SPF 50 applied thinly can perform like an SPF 15.
This is why the mineral-versus-chemical debate is largely beside the point. A chemical sunscreen you apply generously every day outperforms a mineral one you use sparingly because it feels heavy.
Reapplication, honestly
Every two hours during sustained exposure, and immediately after swimming, heavy sweating or towel drying regardless of elapsed time. Towel drying is the one people forget — it physically removes the product.
"Water resistant" means the stated SPF holds for a defined period in water, usually 40 or 80 minutes. It does not mean waterproof, and no sunscreen sold in the EU may claim to be.
What about SPF 30 versus SPF 50?
SPF 30 filters roughly 97% of UVB; SPF 50 roughly 98%. The gap is smaller than the numbers suggest. Where higher SPF genuinely helps is as a buffer against the under-application almost everyone is guilty of — not because it grants meaningfully longer exposure.
Also check for UVA protection, shown in the EU as the letters UVA inside a circle. SPF alone describes UVB.
Sticks, sprays, fluids and creams
Sticks are excellent for faces, ears, noses and children who will not stand still — but easy to under-apply. Go over the area several times.
Sprays are convenient and the easiest format to under-apply badly. Spray until the skin visibly glistens, then rub it in; never use them in wind.
Fluids and lotions make it easiest to judge quantity, which is why they remain the best choice for large areas.
Children and babies
Under six months, shade, timing and clothing come first rather than sunscreen. From six months, mineral formulas are generally preferred for young children because irritation risk is lower. Check the stated age guidance on each product, and remember that a hat and a t-shirt outperform any sunscreen.
What we stock
- Mineral — Suntribe's zinc range: Sport Zinc Sticks SPF50 in several shades, All Natural Mineral Body & Face SPF30, Active Natural Mineral SPF50, plus a Kids Vanilla SPF30 and a Tinted Zinc Sun Stick.
- Conventional — the Vichy Capital Soleil and Idéal Soleil ranges: fluids, sprays, milks, sticks and UV-Age formulas from SPF30 to SPF50+.
- Lips — Suntribe Lip Balm Zinc SPF50 and Tinted Lip Balm SPF30, plus Dr Organic Aloe Vera Lip Balm SPF15.
- After sun — Suntribe Aloe Vera After Sun Gel, Suntribe After Sun Balm, Vichy Idéal Soleil After Sun.
Browse the full sunscreen collection.
And in a Swedish winter?
UVB is very low from roughly October to March, so sunburn risk is minimal. UVA persists year-round and contributes to skin ageing, and snow reflects a significant share of UV back upward — which is why bright ski days carry real exposure even when it is freezing. Daily sunscreen matters most from March to September, plus any time you are on snow.
No sunscreen provides complete protection. For external use only. Avoid contact with the eyes and stop use if irritation occurs. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and use clothing and shade alongside sunscreen. Follow the reapplication directions on your specific product.
