By request, more sunscreen info for you :)

Courtesy of MUA and Essential Day Spa as well as PrescribedSolutions

"UVB protection measures are standardized as SPF factors. Most people do not realize that SPF only tells you how much the product stops a burn and it tells you absolutely nothing about other protection. Many people mistake a high SPF for being good for everything.

When you get to UVA protection (UVA causes aging), there are 2 main types: physical (or insoluble) sunscreens and chemical (or soluble) sunscreens. Zinc and titanium are physical. Helioplex, Mexoryl and Avobenzone are typical chemical examples. Soluble (chemical) sunscreens are less visible and a good choice for many as they disappear rapidly. But they get used up as they protect from UVA. Essentially Helioplex claims that it lasts longer. Mexoryl works by reinforcing protection around a small band cap (called the short UVA) that is missed out by the standard Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) that is in all these products and that has been around since the 1980s. PFA is not a standardized measure of protection and scientists are not agreed that it’s a good indicator.

Interestingly, when you use physical blocks you do not have the problem of the protecting ingredients breaking down with time (for example the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide literally stay on the top of the skin until wiped or washed off). The absorption spectrums of these ingredients (when used together) give good protection up to 380 nm which means they cover the spectrum that Neutrogena and L'Oreal (the owners of Mexoryl, Anthelios and Lancome) are working to protect. For example, they do not have weak protection from 320 to 345 nm that Mexoryl is used for. Physical sunscreens can be more matte and have good long lasting protection.

I work for PRESCRIBEDsolutions and we work exclusively with dermatologists and other doctors. We have products with both physical and chemical sunscreens. What we have found is that while so many products have focused on UVB and UVA protection, dermatologists and plastic surgeons now realize that this is just not enough for their patients including many undergoing the latest cosmetic procedures who need a product that not only provides UVB and UVA but also visible light protection.

The new PRESCRIBEDsolutions' Up the Anti Full Spectrum and Visible Sunblock SPF 30 was formulated to give comprehensive protection at wavelengths through both the UVA and UVB spectrums upwards to the visible spectrum in a light, tinted cream. Many consumers purchase other products with an SPF 60 or higher without understanding that these may not protect from the type of light that will give them trouble.

So overall,
if you want something more moisturizing you choose a sunscreen with chemical UVA protection. Helioplex, Mexoryl or any of the others shown are fine choices. With all these you will need to reapply.

If you want something longer lasting, use purely physical protection. See how it looks on your skin.

With something that provides physical protection, the larger it is or the more its available, the more it will protect. Therefore I would estimate that the higher level of zinc will give better UVA protection.

You cannot compare fully between different zinc oxides as particle size will not be the same between two products and you will probably want larger particles (though these will be more visible on the skin)

There is a wavelength in the UVA band where zinc stops protecting and therefore you are generally better off with a mix of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide rather than just one of these.

When it comes to UVA protection there are a multitude of excellent screens. Each has a different protection range based on the characteristics of the molecules. For example, we are using a red algae extract called Helioguard 365 as a purely UVA screen which absorbs maximally at 335 nm

So, my suggestions would be:
* Choose combination of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide rather than just one of these.
* Generally the higher the percentages the better, though find something that you like the look of. Its useless to have protection that you do not use because it looks wrong.
* Make sure you use another product with powerful anti-oxidants at the same time. C+E combinations or C with pine bark extract are particularly good at providing the protection against free radicals which, in the end, cause much of the aging of the skin."