Physical Sunscreen Lover? This Launch Is For You!

Physical sunscreen lovers rejoice! This is the news you have been waiting for. One of the industry’s most popular and respected professional skincare ranges, Aspect, has just launched the latest addition to their Aspect Sun range, to cater to those that wish to opt for a mineral sunscreen alternative. Here’s everything you need to know about Aspect Sun’s Physical Sun Protection SPF 50+ Sunscreen Cream.

Physical vs chemical sunscreens is a debate that has been under the industry spotlight for quite some time. An exceedingly complex topic, sunscreen ingredients all work in slightly different ways, with each formula varying in its efficacy, longevity, look, feel and texture. When it comes to physical vs chemical, it isn’t that one is better than the other, but there are certainly countless clients out there who are very specific about the ingredients they are putting on their skin. This is why physical sunscreen has established a certain cult following, and it was this overwhelming demand and countless requests for a physical sunscreen option that led to the brand formulating their first ever physical sun protection.

In order to understand the difference, we must look to a molecular level. A very basic, simplified explanation is that chemical sunscreen ingredients absorb UV radiation, which puts their electrons into an excitable state. To rid themselves of this state, the energy must be released. Since energy cannot simply disappear (it can only be converted into other forms) for the most part, this energy is released as heat energy. This is extremely low level heat, but anecdotally, there have been reports of sunscreen users feeling a warm or hot sensation – perhaps those more prone to sensitivity. Physical sunscreen, meaning those whose sun protection ingredients are generally zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, are known for their ability to reflect UV energy instead of absorbing it. This is partly true – however, some energy light is reflected, and some is absorbed and released as heat in the same way as chemical sunscreens.

Speaking of those prone to sensitivity, this is perhaps where physical sunscreen does its best work. While chemical and physical are just as effective as one another, there are some skins that are so reactive that they are intolerable to most chemical sunscreen agents. As we know, zinc oxide is a fantastic anti-inflammatory agent, with very low incidence of reaction even on delicate, sensitised, inflamed or rosacea-type skins. This is where physical sunscreens come in, meeting the need for a more gentle sun protection solution. Beauty and aesthetic professionals also prefer physical sunscreens for this reason, and can confidently apply a zinc-based product immediately following certain skin treatments (particularly heat-inducing) as opposed to a chemical sunscreen that may cause irritation.

We love that the Aspect brand is as dedicated to our clients’ sun protection as we are, which is why we’ve seen so many photo-protection products being added to the brand portfolio this year. One of the biggest problems we face is convincing our clients to reapply their suncare throughout the day, but we all know that this rarely happens thanks to our clients not wanting to destroy their makeup (fair enough!). This is yet another industry challenge that Aspect has dedicated themselves to resolving, which they did with their launch of Aspect Minerals earlier in the year.

This range of mineral makeup combines cosmeceutical skincare, SPF and natural looking coverage, doubling as sunscreen and giving you fortified UV protection throughout the day with just a simple sprinkle of powder (SPF 25) or top up of the liquid (SPF 15).