Derms Say These 2 Sunscreen Types Are ‘Crucial’ For Women Over 40 This Spring: ‘Physically Block Harmful Rays’

March 17, 2025 by Mariam Qayum

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As the weather warms up this spring, sunscreen becomes an essential part of any skincare routine—especially for women over 40. With age, the skin becomes more prone to sun damage, leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. However, not all sunscreens offer the same level of protection. Choosing the right formula can help prevent premature aging, protect collagen levels, and keep your skin looking youthful and healthy all season long.

We checked in with Dr. Joanne Simpson, MD, MPH, board-certified dermatologist and melanin skin expert at Charlotte Dermatology, and Dr. Simran Sethi, MD, skincare expert and founder and CEO of RenewMD Beauty & Wellness MedSpa to discover two types of sunscreen that can help protect your skin this spring. According to them, a mineral-tinted sunscreen and sunscreens with blue light protection are the ones to consider. Read on for more details!

1. Tinted mineral sunscreen

For a product that won't clog your pores and will promote youthful radiance all year long, Simpson recommends choosing a mineral-tinted sunscreen for daily use. "The best sunscreens for people dealing with dark spots and hyperpigmentation are broad-spectrum formulas with an SPF of 30 or higher," she explains, "More specifically, tinted mineral sunscreens."

A mineral sunscreen that contains a physical sunblock such as zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, she adds, is "crucial for promoting healthy skin." Unlike their chemical counterparts that work by absorbing and neutralizing ultraviolet light and the sun's harmful rays, Simpson notes that these mineral (or physical) sunscreens "help to protect you from the sun by sitting on top of skin and physically blocking or reflecting harmful rays and visible light that cause dark spots."

2. Blue light protection sunscreen

Sethi stresses that your sunscreen should "not only be broad spectrum with UVA and UVB protection but also contain blue light protection." Blue light is abundant, both outdoors and indoors, she warns, and "over the last ten years, has been shown to cause skin aging at a deeper level, making blue light a significant contributor to dark spots." Sethi says that most sunscreens do not include blue light protection, so "it is important to pay attention to what is being protected, in addition to SPF and active ingredients."

Sunscreen should also be a "physical barrier" containing zinc or titanium oxide, she reiterates, at "high concentrations to provide optimal coverage and sun protection." Sethi suggests sunscreens "with a natural mineral, because they blend into the skin well, which makes people more willing to wear sunscreen. "Additionally, physical barrier sunscreens start protecting your skin "as soon as they are applied," she concludes, versus "physical barrier ones that take about 30 minutes to absorb into the skin before becoming active." Noted!

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Beauty, best sunscreen ingredients, best sunscreens, health, sunscreens for mature skin, sunscreens over 40, sunscreens over 50

Tags: Beautybest sunscreen ingredientsbest sunscreenshealthsunscreens for mature skinsunscreens over 40sunscreens over 50

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