eli5 Why is mineral sunscreen said to be safer for humans and better for the environment than chemical sunscreen?
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Mineral sunscreen is, of course, also made with chemicals; they’re just different ones.
Zinc oxide is nontoxic (unless you breathe it), doesn’t dissolve in water (it is tiny solid particles), and doesn’t accumulate in your tissues. Also, some amount of zinc naturally occurs in ocean water, and shellfish use a small amount of it in their shells.
Titanium dioxide, which is also used in mineral sunscreens, is a constituent of sand on beaches in many parts of the world.
Oxybenzone and other benzophenones — the main ingredient in the “bad” kind of sunscreen — is absorbed into your flesh through your skin, and accumulates in your fat cells. These chemicals are known to interfere with the growth of coral animals; and it’s suspected of causing cancer in humans too.
Everything physical is made of chemicals
Everything
Water is a chemical
This is so exasperating
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