A-Z — Zinc oxide

Zinc oxide — has been used to protect, soothe, and heal the skin. Zinc oxide provides an excellent barrier to the sun and other irritants. It is somewhat anti-septic, and anti-bacterial. When used in sunscreen preparations, it provides both UVA and UVB protection, and can contribute to and/or increase SPF. At the appropriate particle size, zinc oxide is transparent in the visible light spectrum but opaque in the UVC ranges, thereby avoiding a whitening effect when incorporated into sunscreen preparations. Zinc oxide is included on the FDA’s list of approved sunscreen chemicals. Zinc oxide is is relatively non-allergenic.