Sunscreen comes in two main types: chemical and mineral. While both offer protection from the sun's harmful UV rays, each type works differently. When you apply a chemical sunscreen, it's absorbed into your skin. Then, its active ingredients, such as oxybenzone and avobenzone, soak up the UV rays and convert them into heat, which your body releases. Mineral sunscreen, or physical sunscreen, is not absorbed. It stays on top of your skin. The zinc oxide or titanium dioxide in it forms a protective barrier that separates your skin from the sun's rays. When UV light hits the barrier, it gets reflected.