Summer is over, but sunscreen is a year-round routine.

Especially if you want to protect your skin and delay its inevitable path to wrinkled life.

To prolong those good looks, ramping up on the sunscreen is key. You got to spread that SPF 30 (minimum), to get 97 percent coverage from UVA and UVB rays. This will help prevent sunburns and reduce your risk from many types of skin cancer.

Question now is–which is safer: chemical active vs. mineral active sunscreens?

The quick answer is mineral active sunscreens, at least for now.

Earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. raised concerns about chemical active sunscreens and the potential health concerns it presents.

Reportedly these chemical active ingredients could be absorbed into our bloodstream at a higher ratio threshold than previously expected. To be safe the FDA has recommended the public refrain from using chemical active sunscreens and stick with mineral active versions until more data is collected.

Out of the 16 allowed active ingredients under FDA investigation only two have been classified as 'generally recognized as safe and effective' (GRASE) – that's zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. 

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are technically sunblocks and "act as physical blockers on the surface of your skin" versus chemical active versions that absorb UV rays.

One of those 16 that's notorious for being red-flagged many times over is oxybenzone. It's reported that oxybenzone potentially can disrupt hormone functionality and pose a threat to the ocean's coral reefs. Until proven otherwise it's best to stay away from it and use a sunblock that doesn't contain it instead.

So tread carefully and double check the sunscreen ingredient list to ensure these two mineral actives, or a mixture of both, are utilized. Until the FDA provides more data then it may be best to use mineral active sunscreens for now.

That said do your research and just be aware of what you are putting on your skin.

West Island Co. doesn't have a sunblock but here are some mineral active alternatives recommended by our friends at Askmen.com.

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