la roche posay

The problem with BB cream sunscreens

Why should you avoid sunscreen products that only contain one active ingredient (titanium dioxide)? They don't offer protection against the full spectrum of UV light.

Lately I’ve noticed that some products advertise SPF protection, but only contain one active ingredient: titanium dioxide. Why is that a problem? Because titanium dioxide only protects against part of the UV spectrum—specifically, UVB and UVA2 rays. It does not protect your skin from UVA1 (340–400 nm) rays, according to this table from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar BB Blur Review

This BB cream claims to provide broad-spectrum SPF 20 protection, but it's definitely not a replacement for sunscreen. Here's why.

Before I started getting mildly obsessed with sunscreen, I used to think that anything with at least SPF 15 was enough for daily wear. I didn’t know the difference between a physical and a chemical sunscreen. I had never heard about UVA and UVB rays. I spent many years applying a thin layer of Oil of Olay Sensitive Skin Moisturizer with SPF 15 in the morning, and never bothering to reapply any sunscreen throughout the day. Later, I moved on to La Roche Posay BB Blur, which is primarily…