I have a confession to make. After surviving decades of Midwestern winters, for a long time I’d given myself the permission to indulge in the sun sans sunscreen. I know, I know – not a good idea. My only justification was that my vices were few, and I just loved having that sun-kissed glow.
But, as I get older and want to protect my skin, I’ve realized something: as someone who takes care of her body and skin from the inside out, it’s important to focus on caring for it from the outside in, too.
Now that I slather up every summer, I want to make sure that my sunscreen is toxin-free. Being conscious about what we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in our bodies. Toxins not only enter the body from the food and beverages we consume, but also the products we use on our skin.
Many of the popular sunscreens on the market today contain chemicals and additives we don’t want to absorb through our skin.
A study conducted by Valisure found that several sunscreen brands that we know and love had batches of products that were cross-contaminated with Benzene, a known carcinogen (you can read more about that study here ). Yikes!
So to help you make an informed choice, we’ve put together a quick cheat-sheet on what to look for in a sunscreen and what to avoid, along with our favorite brands on the market today.
Another great reference is a guide our friends at Environmental Working Group have put together. Make sure to check that out here as well.
Here is what we look for in a sunscreen:
Things to avoid:
- Aerosol sunscreens
- SPF above 50
- Oxybenzone
- Octocrylene
- Octinoxate
- Octisalate
- Avobenzone
- Isobutane
- Retinyl palmitate
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Dyes
- Sodium chloride
- Formaldehyde
- Homosalate
- DEA
- MEA
Things to look for:
- Mineral-based lotion sunscreens (i.e. contain zinc oxide as their active ingredient)
- SPF between 15 and 50
- UVA and UVB protection
- Fragrance-free
- Companies that pour their sunscreen in-house (to avoid Benzene contamination)
- Ecocert Certified/Organic
- Reef-friendly
- Non-nano
We’ve also done some product testing with the staff at the Conscious Cleanse to give you a starting point when searching for a cleaner sunscreen. Below is a list of what we consider the best of the best. All of these products are EWG Verified.
New FDA-approved ingredient: bemotrizinol
In June, the FDA approved a new active sunscreen ingredient. It’s called Bemotrizinol (or BEMT), and it’s a safe and effective UV filter. It was approved in the EU in 2000, so it’s been on our radar for a long time.
Why are we so excited about it? Sun exposure breaks it down slower than any other non-mineral UV filter, so you stay protected for longer. This is important, because most conventional sunblock ingredients don’t protect you for as long as they claim.
And not only is it safe, it’s also totally sheer! That means full coverage without the white cast mineral sunscreens leave behind. If you have a darker complexion, this is definitely one to look for.
In a nutshell, it’s safe AND super effective. Sunscreens with bemotrizinol will start selling in stores in September. It’ll show up in the ingredients list as “Parsol Shield.” We know we’ll be keeping an eye out!
A note about popular “clean” sunscreens
There are a lot of sunscreens marketed as “clean” that use ingredients we avoid. One of these brands we see people buying the most is Supergoop.
If you use Supergoop because it’s the only product you’ve found that doesn’t leave a white cast on your skin, we totally get it. But we want you to have all the information to help you choose.
Several Supergoop products in EWG’s database have a level 2 rating (low hazard), but others range from level 3 up to level 7 (high hazard). The main issue here is how easy it is to confuse one Supergoop product for another.
Their Unseen line is very popular, and it’s a great example of this. This line has several different products, and they’re easy to mistake for one another. Here’s an example: this Unseen product has a level 2 rating, while this one looks similar but has a level 3 rating.
Ideally, you want a sunscreen that’s EWG Verified or low hazard (levels 1-2). If you’re using one with a rating of 3-10 consistently, it increases the chances of negative impacts on your health. The higher-rated products contain chemicals that have a higher absorption rate into your skin. This increases the chances for things like hormone disruption, immunotoxicity, and cellular damage.
So if you’re using a Supergoop product with a level 2 rating, that’s great! But if you have one that ranks higher, take a look at EWG’s database to find a better option in their line.
Sunscreens we love:
Babo Botanicals
Baby Skin Mineral Sunscreen
(reef friendly, non nano)
Badger Sunscreens
(organic, reef friendly, and they have a wide range of product options, including a clear zinc sunscreen, sport, and baby sunscreens)
Luminance Sunscreen
(no zinc, made with red raspberry seed oil)
Sun Love Sunscreen by Anne Marie Skin Care
(organic, non nano, reef friendly)
Blissoma Photonic Light Shifting Facial Sunscreen + Moisturizer
(organic, matte, transparent zinc, silicone-free)
Kari Gran Sunscreen
(organic, made with red raspberry seed oil, non nano)
Juice Beauty Sunscreen
(organic, zinc mineral sunscreen, contains mineral pigments)
Butter Me Up Organics Sunscreen
(organic, non nano, fragrance-free, sulfate and paraben-free)
Kora Organics Silky Sun Drops 100% Mineral Sunscreen Serum
(organic, made with red raspberry seed oil, non nano, eco-certified)
Sky & Sol Face and Body Sunscreen
(non-greasy, non nano, transparent zinc, reef friendly)
Primally Pure Sun Cream
(moisturizing, non-nano, uses zinc oxide, lightweight)
Earth Mama Organics Tinted Sunscreen Stick
(organic, non-nano zinc oxide, water-resistant)
We’d love to hear more from you in the comments sections below. Do you have a clean sunscreen that you think should make our list? Please share!
With a healthy sun kissed glow,
If you liked this guide to the Best Clean Sunscreens, we invite you to join our online community! When you sign up you’ll receive regular healthy lifestyle tips and new recipes. As a welcome-gift, we’ll send you our Conscious Cleanse Guide to Simple Self Care, which has our tried and true practices that will impact your overall well-being within minutes.
Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here.
