FAQs

Below you’ll find the answers to many questions.  If you have any questions which aren’t answered here, please get in touch and we’ll add it to the list:

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What is “Reef Safe” sunscreen?

The term reef safe refers to sunscreens that do not contain any chemicals which can harm corals reefs or other ocean life.  For a sunscreen to be truly reef safe it must be 100% mineral, using either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide or both.  Just because a sunscreen says it is reef safe doesn’t mean that it is.  Always check the ingredients of your sunscreen.  If you see any of the following ingredients it is NOT reef safe: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate.  At SETT we don’t use any of these chemicals.

 

Is SETT Sunscreen reef safe?

Yes, SETT sunscreens are reef safe because they are 100% mineral and don’t contain any of the damaging chemicals which have been proven to harm coral reefs and other aquatic life. You can wear SETT sunscreen and be confident you are doing your bit to protect our precious ocean habitats.

 

What is mineral sunscreen?

A mineral sunscreen is one which uses either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (or both) as the UV filter to help protect the skin from the sun’s damaging rays.  A proper mineral sunscreen will not contain any weird chemicals, so it is a more natural way to protect your skin.

 

What is chemical sunscreen?

If a sunscreen doesn’t contain the minerals zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, it is a chemical sunscreen.  There are many chemicals used in modern sunscreen, some perfectly harmless like diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (try saying that 3 times really quickly!) and others harmful to aquatic life like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, homosalate and octisalate.  To be sure your sunscreen doesn’t harm the environment, stick to a mineral sunscreen which is a lot more natural.

 

How does mineral sunscreen protect the skin?

Mineral sunscreen creates a protective layer on top of the skin and deflects the sun’s rays away.  If it is a non-nano sunscreen the mineral particle size will not be small enough to sink into the deeper layers of the skin, so you know that you’re not absorbing anything unnecessary into your body.  As soon as you apply mineral sunscreen your skin is protected.

 

What does “non-nano” mean and why does it matter?

Non-nano refers to the particle size of the substance used as the UV filter.  It refers to nanometres (nm).  A nanometre is one billionth of a metre and non nano means something larger than 100 nm.  When a sunscreen is termed non-nano it means that the particle size is greater than 100 nanometres.  Any particle less than 100nm is termed nano.  Nano particles can sink into the deeper layers of your skin and even reach your bloodstream.  If you prefer not to have unnecessary stuff in your body, non-nano sunscreen is a good solution.  Only some mineral sunscreens are non-nano.  Chemical sunscreens cannot be non-nano.  SETT sunscreens are non-nano.

 

How does chemical sunscreen work?

Chemical sunscreens work in a slightly different way to mineral sunscreens.  The UV filters have to sink right into your skin to work.  They absorb and then release the UV rays from the skin.  With chemical sunscreen to work properly you have to apply at least 20 mins before sun exposure.  Because they work from within the layers of the skin, chemical sunscreens often cause irritation especially for people with sensitive skin and for children who have more delicate skin than adults.  SETT sunscreens are never chemical, they are mineral and provide more natural protection for your skin.

 

Is SETT sunscreen suitable for sensitive skin and kids?

Absolutely.  Because it is mineral, SETT sunscreens rarely cause skin irritation.  We use natural ingredients which don’t cause irritation.  We have never heard of anyone suffering skin irritation as a result of using our sunscreen.

 

Is mineral or chemical sunscreen better?

Both work and will protect your skin from the sun.  But we strongly believe that mineral sunscreens are kinder to skin, cause significantly less irritation, and don’t harm coral reefs of aquatic life. So we say mineral is better.