top of page

Natural Sunscreens – What Sunscreen is safe for us and the planet?

Updated: Sep 3, 2022

We use sunscreen to protect our skin from the damage of UV ray’s but have you ever thought that the sunscreen you are putting on your skin could actually be damaging it, causing disruptions to your hormones and not to mention, the ecosystem?

Not all sunscreen is created equally – some do more harm than good.


What is the difference?

Conventional sunscreens work by using chemicals that absorb into your skin and block UV rays, whereas natural mineral sunscreens use physical barries and work by blocking and reflecting the UV rays through ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (which are both naturally broad spectrum). This means, natural sunscreens will work straight away and chemical sunscreens require time to absorb into your skin to work properly.

Sunscreen Ingredients to avoid:

4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor

Oxybenzone,

Avobenzone,

Octisalate,

Octocrylene,

Homosalate

Octinoxate

Parfum/fragrance

Octyl Salicylate

Homosalate

Octocrylene

Why Should you use Mineral Suncreens?

1. Healthier for you and your skin

While sunscreens are important to protect your skin from too much sun, they can however contain an array of harmful toxins that can absorb straight into your blood stream and cause adverse health effects. Many of the active ingredients within conventional sunscreens are endocrine disruptors which means they absorb straight into your blood stream and can mimic or block certain hormones, contributing to unbalanced hormones or low testosterone in men. Not to mention, these ingredients act as toxins and can overburden your liver and cause free radical damage. The UV rays can also activate certain chemicals, specifically retinyl palmitate, which has been shown to be carcinogenic, possibly contributing to skin cancer.

Mineral sunscreens protect your skin from the sun without any toxic chemicals absorbing into your skin and creating havoc to your hormones and liver. This means less damage from sunscreen and the sun and more youthful skin.

2. Healthier for the ocean and ecosystem

Oxybenzone is a common ingredient in conventional sunscreen and has been shown to be toxic to marine life, including algae, sea urchins, fish and other mammals. It also contributes to coral bleaching, alters coral DNA and causes coral to die off. These environmental concerns have led Hawaii and other places to ban these chemicals to protect the ecosystem.

Please note: there is not enough research done on chemical sunscreen and the adverse effects they may have. My rule of thumb is if you shouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.

Finding the right mineral sunscreen- Just because it says “natural” doesn’t mean it is.

Some natural sunscreens will also contain chemical sunscreen ingredients so it’s important to check the ingredient label.

Here’s what to look for:

· Sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient

· non-nano

· Avoid ingredients from the list above (no parabens, parfums etc.)

· Broad Spectrum (UVA and UVB)

Some of my favourite brands are:

· Ethical Zinc

· Sunbutter Surf zinc

· Sun and Earth Natural zinc

· Antipodes Immortal Moisturiser

· Edible Beauty Australia (Baskin Beauty Natural Sunscreen)

· Eco-Sonya

· Little urchin




Comments


bottom of page