The white cream you’ll often see cricketers wear on their face is Zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is a ‘physical sunscreen’, often referred to as a ‘reflector’ that sits on top of the skin. It forms a strong protective layer that helps to reflect the sun’s harmful UVA & UVB rays away from the body. Your everyday sunscreens are ‘chemical sunscreens’, or ‘absorbers’. These soak into the body and allow UVA & UVB rays to penetrate the top layer of the skin before they are dealt with below the surface. Cricketers use Zinc oxide because they can be exposed to direct sunlight for up to 6 hours during a game! This much exposure can be very harmful, and applying a reflective physical sun screen like Zinc oxide to sensitive areas is the best way to limit damage to your skin.