I have been researching sunscreens. As I understand it, it is best to use one that employs only physical blockers, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and avoid chemical blockers, which may be carcinogenic. As I compared various products, I noticed that some were “tinted”. At first I thought that this was for cosmetic purposes and there would be no reason to use a sunscreen with tinting. But then I found out that what is added to “tint” the sunscreen is iron oxide, which is supposed to protect skin from visible light (which is not blocked by zinc oxide or titanium dioxide).
Are there any health risks of putting iron oxide on your face every day? None of the resources which I have found on the web mentions any problems with using it. Has it been used very long in sunscreens?