Before getting into a discussion on sunblocks, let's briefly touch upon the difference between sunscreens and sunblocks. Sunscreens do not provide the complete protection against harmful Ultra Violet rays that are emitted from the sun. They absorb the UV and cannot be spotted when applied on the skin as they are available in so many forms; like creams, gel or sprays. Sunblock on the other hand reflect the sun rays that is why they are called sunblock as they block out and reflect sun rays. The reason for their initial unpopularity was that they were white in color and one could easily tell that a person had applied sunblock. But now sunblocks are becoming more popular then sunscreens as they offer better protection from harmful UV rays.

There are many sunblocks that are available today and all have a SPF factor. SPF factor is the Sun Protection Factor and an SPF 15 means that if one's skin normally sunburns in 10 minutes an SPF 15 will protect the skin for 150 minutes. This however is a severe way of testing or selecting a sunblock therefore it is recommended that one just reapply a sunblock after every 2 hours to be on the safe side. Also if one sweats profusely or has been in the water one must reapply the sunblock after 20 minutes. A titanium dioxide sunblock is a recommended as sunblock as it has been proven that titanium dioxide offers the best sun protection. There are both toxic and non toxic sunblocks and there is a debate going on regarding the safety of toxic sunblocks and sunscreens. Chemical sunblocks absorb the harmful rays of the sun and physical sunblocks reflect or scatter the rays. Some sunblocks use a combination of both chemical and physical ingredients as no single chemical ingredient can block out the entire spectrum of the suns rays. Titanium dioxide and zinc dioxide both provide a broad spectrum protection and are not harmful to the skin. People who have sensitive skin can also use these sunblocks safely. Any sunblock must be applied 20 minutes before exposure to the sun so that the sunblock has time to work effectively. There are a number of sun blocks available today and they also come in a variety of forms like spray, lotion, gel and stick. Spray lotions and gels are the least oily but they also wash off easily. So if one is using them and sweating or swimming one will need to reapply them frequently. There might be a skin reaction to some sunblocks and the most common reaction is to sunblocks that contain PABA. So if one feels any skin irritation one should check and if there is PABA one should change the sunblock. It may take a few trial and errors to find which the sunblock that suits one best is.

As sunblocks contain several ingredients spend some time to read the list of ingredients to make sure that you are not allergic to any of them and then do your purchase. Remember using the right sunblock is more important then buying the wrong sunblock and suffering sunburn which can be quite a horrible experience. Make doubly sure that children are well protected. Even if they are wearing ample clothing still using a sunblock is recommended as with young children one cannot be sure what they can get up to.

Whether one uses a sunblock or a sunscreen the protection should be sufficient to protect the skin and also it should not irritate the skin. People with sensitive skin have to be extra careful in selecting the right sunblock for their skin. One should not be taken in by the hype of advertisements when selecting a sunblock.