There are so many sunscreens out there on the market it’s hard to know which ones to choose and with some popular sunscreen brands recently (late 2021) being recalled due to benzene being detected in them, it’s important now more than ever to choose ones that are good for your body and not containing carcinogenic ingredients such as benzene, like the ones recalled.
When purchasing sunscreen, be wary of products that don’t list their full ingredients or only list the ‘active’ ingredients (unless you know and trust that they’re a natural/no synthetics brand). There will be plenty of other ingredients in there that they haven’t listed, but they simply aren’t required by our slack labelling laws to list them.
Some we found only list the preservatives in the ingredients and nothing else.
Our advice… steer clear of these! Unless we know and trust that it is a natural brand that wouldn’t put synthetics into their formula, or we know exactly what is in it, we don’t let it get anywhere near our skin where it will be absorbed into our blood stream.
In commercial branded sunscreens you are likely to find ingredients that can cause a whole array of health and environmental issues, such as:
❌ Endocrine/Hormone disruptors
❌ Delays puberty in males
❌ Skin and eye irritant
❌ Hives
❌ Dermatitis
❌ Headaches
❌ Tremors
❌ Allergic reactions
❌ Asthma
❌ Toxic to marine life with long lasting effects
The thing to consider with sunscreen is that it’s not just the side effects to you, the consumer, but also what effects it is going to have on our marine life given that we wear these sunscreens on our bodies in water sources that we share with marine life. We certainly don’t want to be harming our precious environment.
So here’s some natural options that you can get online, health food stores and even some chemists.
We get that it’s not as easy as buying them from the supermarket, but it is definitely worth it for your body and the environment.
Which natural sunscreen brand do you like? Tell us in the comments so we can spread the natural sunscreen word this summer
INGREDIENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone)
This ingredient is the most commonly ultraviolet filter ingredient in sunscreen.
It has been listed on PubChem as: ‘May cause long lasting harmful effects to aquatic life’. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) list it as cancer concerning due to ‘Damage to DNA due to Parasol 1789 with exposure to UVA light.
4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor
This ingredient is used in sunscreen for its ability to protect the skin against UVB radiation.
The EWG lists this as:
👉🏻 a human endocrine disruptor
👉🏻 affects development of male reproductive functions and organs
👉🏻 impaired reproductive development in males and females, via a study conducted on rats.
Octocrylene
This ingredient is used in sunscreen as a photosensitiser.
According to PubMed this chemical appears to be a strong allergen leading to contact dermatitis in children. Scientists in the US have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have products for sale containing this ingredient due to it having the potential to contain benzophenone which is a suspected carcinogen that can also interfere with key hormones and reproductive organs.
Phenoxyethanol
This ingredient is used in sunscreen as a preservative.
The EWG lists this ingredient as:
👉🏻 having the potential to cause adverse effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems
👉🏻 being linked to allergic contact urticaria and dermatitis
👉🏻 being classified as toxic or harmful.
Hydroxybenzoates (aka parabens)
This class of ingredients are used in sunscreen as preservatives.
According to the EWG: ‘Parabens can act like the hormone estrogen in the body and disrupt the normal function of hormone systems affecting male and female reproductive system functioning, reproductive development, fertility and birth outcomes. Parabens can also interfere with the production of hormones.’
Homosalate
This ingredient is used in sunscreen as a chemical UV filter.
The EWG lists this ingredient as:
👉🏻 expected to be toxic or harmful to non-reproductive organs
👉🏻 suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative.
OUR TOP CHOICES
Simple As That
Ingredients
This is our fave brand of sunscreen not only are the ingredients good, but it glides on smoothly, isn’t thick and greasy and is non-toxic to the environment. They have many different versions of their sunscreen as well as other skin health and natural beauty products. They are also Australian made and owned, organic, fair trade and vegan. They simply tick all the boxes for us. You can purchase some for yourself via the button below and if you use our code additivefree20 you’ll get 20% off.
123 Nourish Me
123 Nourish Me’s Hello Sunshine sunscreen has been a long time staple in our households. It is Australian made and owned, totally natural and safe for the whole family to use. The only downside to this sunscreen is that it is quite thick to apply and absorb into the skin and can tend to be just a little greasy. However, it works well in terms of protection and a product we definitely recommend, along with many other 123 Nourish Me products.
SunButter Skincare
SunButter stock a range of reef safe products that are safe for the skin and environment. They are also Australian made and owned. The company has a strong ethos grounded in a need to protect the environment not just from harsh UV filtering chemicals but also reducing waste by not using plastic that ends up in landfill. They are also a part of a carbon offset program through Greenfleet where they are reducing their carbon footprint with trees planted in Australia and New Zealand. Whilst SunButter products are not certified organic, all the ingredients are sustainably sourced and palm oil free. This rubs in awesome and the tinted sunscreen gives you a tan, without sunbaking!
P4O – People 4 Ocean
The founders joined forces with Australian skincare label LaGaia Unedited to create one-of-a-kind sun solutions eco-consciously formulated to protect the most sensitive skins while respecting natural ecosystems and giving back to reefs worldwide. Their additive-free sunscreen products are a great Australian-owned and environmentally conscious choice.
MOTHER SPF
All MOTHER SPFs natural ingredients are sourced from known and trusted suppliers. MOTHER SPF only uses 9 ingredients because they believe less is more. Their products are formulated differently from your usual, run-of-the-mill sunscreens – as they contain no water, while other sunscreens can contain up to 85% water. The absence of water means MOTHER SPF requires no preservatives since microorganisms are unable to grow in a water-free environment.
Little Urchin
Born from a father’s need to create a better sunscreen for his daughter, their natural skin-care products are free of toxins, safe for the planet, and made with love so that you and your family get the protection you deserve. They are Australian-owned and made containing natural ingredients that are cruelty-free and 100% vegan.
EcoTan Natural Sunscreen
EcoTan are known for using organic and/or natural ingredients and this product in their range is no exception. It is reef and water friendly as well as environmentally friendly and made in sugar cane packaging. It’s simple and effect and rubs in clear! They are another company who has also partnered with Greenfleet to reduce/offset their carbon footprint.
Wotnot Natural Sunscreen
This is a popular Australian made brand that are not tested on animals, organic ingredients and vegan friendly, reef friendly, packed from recyclable materials and 100% recyclable. It is also preservative free, fragrance free, chemical actives free, vegan, cruelty free, reef friendly and packaged in recyclable tubes made from recycled materials. It is non thick or greasy, easily absorbed, rubs on clear and doesn’t stain clothes.
NOT OUR FIRST CHOICE…
MooGoo Clear Zinc Sunscreen
This is not a bad sunscreen, but it’s not the best as there are quite a few emulsifiers in there, however it is by far a better option than what you are likely to get with commercial products. So if this is all you can get your hands on, then this is a good option. MooGoo are Australian made and have a 100% money back guarantee.
MAKE YOUR OWN
Krissy Ballinger Recipe
It’s actually quite easy to make your own and yes, it really works. Krissy Ballinger is our go-to for body care and skin care recipes and she just happens to have her own sunscreen recipe that she has tried and tested over many years now. So if you’re up for the challenge, why not make your own? You can source your ingredients from Vitalia and use our code SISTERS for a discount.
If you have any other natural brands that you have come across and would like us to review them, then comment below and we will see if they are up to our additive-free standards and can be added to this list.
Much love,
Jo & Tracey x
Hi there
Have you ladies looked into little innocents sunscreen ? It’s a pink tube
Just had a quick look and they only list their active ingredient (Zinc Oxide 220mg/g.) and not the whole of the ingredients.
Hi ladies – have you seen the Ethical Zinc sunscreen? It’s nice to use, doesn’t irritate my skin but would love to know your thoughts.
It appears to be a better option than store-bought :)
How about Naked Sundays?
Good question :) In this blog post we detail some of the worst ingredients to look out for and unfortunately, Naked Sundays have these ingredients in them. Plus they also only list ‘active ingredients’ which we refer to in this blog post.
I use Ultra Violette sunscreen on my face and find that it is another good brand to use.
That one includes lots of preservatives, PEGs, Silicones and chemical sunscreen actives :( Both that brand and Naked sundays have lots of ingredients in them that are linked to being hormone disruptors
Tried heaps of all natural sunscreen including the above, turns out my skin does not agree with zinc oxide so what am I supposed to do? Thanks 😊
Oh gosh that makes it hard – I would do some googling and look for zinc free natural sunscreens – keeping in mind the ingredients listed in this post to steer clear of.
Thanks for your reply. I had done that and there isn’t any unfortunately.
The MooGoo one is zinc free – not the greatest ingredients wise – but a better choice than lots of others.