More specifically, does spf sunscreen work by reflecting UV or absorbing it?
I always assumed it reflected UV waves away from the body to protect the skin underneath, but then I see those “UV camera” photos where the sunscreen shows up dark which I was taught (if I remember correctly) means the sunscreen is absorbing all the UV and therefore not showing up on the image (no light being bounced into the lens). If it is being absorbed, does it disparate the energy somehow to stop it from harming the skin cells underneath? This has been bugging me for quite some time. Please help.
In: Physics
There are two types of sunscreen: chemical (that works like quietoldsoul is saying) and mechanical, that physically blocks of the uv from hitting your sun. If you search for physics girl on YouTube she has an episode where she explores different types of sunscreen/sunblock in a UV-camera – I’m sure you will enjoy it although she’s probably more eli14.
Edit: [here](https://youtu.be/GRD-xvlhGMc)
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