Natural Sunscreen

I’m currently trying to find the “perfect” natural sunscreen, and by natural, I mean one that is a physical blocker using zinc oxide/titanium dioxide, rather than the standard chemicals in most sunscreens. I also want to make sure that all the other ingredients are natural and have names that I comprehend and can pronounce (which is easier said than done).

The thing is, when I get it in my head that I want a new product, the journalist in me kicks into high gear and I start researching like mad. I currently have 25 tabs open, all with different natural sunscreens I found. Now I’m trying to narrow them down and it’s hard!

The website that really helped me (and also made my decision much more difficult because it provided me with so many options) is the Environmental Working Group. This is what they’re all about:

 

The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles.

In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies.

EWG specializes in providing useful resources (like Skin Deep and theEWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides™) to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change.

 

There are so many good ones at varying price ranges and SPFs, it was tough for me to choose which one was the best. I took price into account, but keep in mind that natural sunscreens are almost all outrageously expensive compared to your typical drugstore brand.

I ended up going with Kabana Green Screen (I’ve been using this on my face and I love it. I ordered it online and a small sample bottle was about 6 bucks plus 2$ in shipping) and Badger SPF 30 Unscented (I bought at my local organic health food store and it costs about $18 for 2.9oz… crazy expensive but I’m hoping I won’t need to use a lot at a time). I haven’t tried the Badger yet but I’ve heard great things.

Keep in mind that zinc-based sunscreens will give your face a slight white ting, but to be honest, I like it. I’m already pale and I find that it actually evens out my skintone! Kabana doesn’t have a tinted sunscreen version but I heard that it’s pretty dark so I didn’t get it.

Katie from the Kitchen Stewardship wrote a fantastic and comprehensive natural sunscreen review. It’s better than anything I could have asked for and I’m so grateful that she put so much time and effort into testing dozens of products, including specific information on each one and giving it a rating based on her personal experience. I can’t go on enough, please read her post!!

Enjoy the sun!

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