Sunscreen (also known as sunblock) is a lotion, spray or other topical product that helps protect the skin from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and which reduces sunburn and other skin damage, ultimately leading to a lower risk of skin cancer.
The best sunscreens protect against both UVB (ultraviolet radiation with wavelength between 290 and 320 nanometres), which can cause sunburn, and UVA (between 320 and 400 nanometres), which damages the skin with more long-term effects, such as premature skin aging.
Most sunscreens work by containing either an organic chemical compound that absorbs ultraviolet light (such as oxybenzone) or an opaque material that reflects light (such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide), or a combination of both.
Typically, absorptive materials are referred to as chemical blocks, whereas opaque materials are mineral or physical blocks.
For more information about the topic Sunscreen, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Sunburn A sunburn is a radiation burn to the skin produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, commonly from the sun's rays. A similar burn can be ... >
read more
UV index The UV index is an international standard measurement of how strong the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is at a particular place on a ... >
read more
Ultraviolet Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength shorter than that of the visible region, but longer than that of soft X-rays. ... >
read more
Blackhead A blackhead (technically known as a open comedo) is a yellowish or blackish bump or plug on the skin. An open comedo or blackhead is a type of acne ... >
read more
Lavender oil Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. Two forms are distinguished, ... >
read more
Rosacea Rosacea begins as flushing and redness on the central face and across the cheeks, nose, or forehead but can also less commonly affect the neck, ... >
read more
Zinc Zinc is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is the fourth most common metal in use, trailing ... >
read more
Vitamin D Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone precursor that contributes to the maintenance of normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the ... >
read more
Psoriasis Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease which affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly ... >
read more
Ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation is a type of particle radiation in which an individual particle (for example, a photon, electron, or helium nucleus) carries ... >
read more
Note: This page refers to an article that is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the article Sunscreen at Wikipedia.org. See the Wikipedia copyright page for more details. Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Recommend this page on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:
Other bookmarking and sharing tools: