Sunscreen is a unique body care product - we're told to apply a thick coat over large areas of the body and reapply frequently. So, it's extra important that we're reaching for healthy, good for you ingredients - that work! So we're here to do that due diligence for you + ensure you're reaching for the best products, while avoiding ingredients that can be irritating, cause skin allergies, or seriously become toxic to your body.
So, what's the big concern with chemical sunscreen?
In one word - oxybenzone. It's been linked with higher risks of endometriosis in women, poorer sperm quality in men, skin allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage. And it's not just in one or two brands? The EWG's 2017 Sunscreen Report found that over 65% of non-mineral sunscreens contained oxybenzone.
Also, chemical sunscreen is only doing half the job! There are two types of UV radiation: UVB which is responsible for actual sunburns, and UVA rays, which penetrate deeper into your skin layer. Mineral-based, physical blockers protect against both by using mineral-based creams like zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. While chemical blockers absorb the rays instead of deflecting them, therefore allowing UVA to reach those deeper layers and damage your skin cells.
When you hear the words, zinc? Do you think that bright colored thick sticky sunscreen smeared across the lifeguard's nose at the beach growing up? The mineral sunscreens we're sharing below are not only effective, good for you, they feel good on your skin too!
