Zinc oxide

UV protection, antibacterial, non-allergenic

Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound, also know as zinc white or as the mineral zincite. The mineral usually contains a certain amount of manganese as well as other elements and usually appears as a white powder, nearly insoluble in water.

Zinc Oxide is a versatile fine white powder with good transparency that has deodorizing and antibacterial properties as well as acting as a barrier on the skin to environmental pollutants. It is also a main ingredient of mineral makeup and is widely used to treat a variety of skin conditions, in products such as baby powder and barrier creams.

When used as an ingredient in sunscreen, zinc oxide sits on the skin's surface i.e. is not absorbed into the skin, and blocks both UVA and UVB rays of ultraviolet light. Because zinc oxide (and the other most common physical sunscreen, titanium dioxide) are not absorbed into the skin, they are nonirritating and non-allergenic.

It is the broadest spectrum UVA and UVB reflector that is approved for use as a sunscreen by the FDA, and is completely photo-stable.