I think it’s about time that we speak about sunscreens again. It seems that everyone is talking about them, not only bloggers and magazines but also people in general. We all want to find something good for the skin, something that gives us a good UV protection and that it’s not too heavy and pore clogging. I’m lucky enough that I found some great products that do all that and more. I will mention them down bellow but first should we speak about that number one reason?
Non-nano Zinc Oxide is coral reef safe and it’s not toxic to marine life. And that is the number one reason why you should be a more conscious consumer and spend your money wisely. Zinc oxide is a physical UV filter, the same as Titanium Dioxide but the later doesn’t provide as good of a UVA and UVB protection as Zinc Oxide, and is also more prone to cause acne. Zinc Oxide on the other hand can actually help with treating and healing acne. But not all physical filters are created equally, so make sure that you choose ones with non-nano particles that don’t penetrate into your body. But know onto the biggest problem, is your sunscreen safe for the planet?
If you’re using sunscreen that contains chemical filters like Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Homosalate and more, then I’m sorry to say this but yes, you are causing damage to marine life. And don’t think you can get away with it in your everyday life. Each night when you wash off your sunscreen from your face, it goes down the drain and the pollution already begins. I don’t know how to write this post not sounding too high and mighty, and a know it all, but these are facts and there is nothing you can do about it. Well you can and I urge you to change your sunscreen and then you won’t feel like I’m attacking you. I know that some people respond to images better than words so why not google something like “sunscreen coral damage”? In posts like this I always feel like I have to defend myself saying things like “I’m not perfect” and things like that, but the truth is that I’m trying and that is often times more than lots of people are doing. I only want to bring this to your attention and make you think. We are already doing so much shit to our oceans and planet in general as it is (plastic pollution!!) and sunscreens with chemical filters are only adding more stress and damage to marine life.
(I found these pictures online: photo 1, photo 2 & 3, picture 4.)
As someone who uses sunscreen on a daily, at least at this time of the year, this issue is very worrying and the whole “ignorance is bliss” thing really bothers me. I completely get that not everyone is interested in these things and unfortunately media isn’t really talking about this. But when you do learn things like this then I think you really should make a change. Why bother supporting brands that aren’t doing anything good for the environment? And that aren’t even good for you? Chemical filters are in fact worse not only for the planet but they actually don’t offer as good of a UV protection as non-nano Zinc Oxide. They are photounstable, which means they are less effective and therefore useless because they can leave your skin at risk from sunburn but also from longer term skin damage like photoaging. Not to mention the whole other nasty things that are associated with chemical filters, like for example being hormone disruptors. As you can see there are many reasons why it is best to choose non-nano Zinc Oxide based sunscreens.
One thing I have to also mention is that of course not every non-nano Zinc Oxide sunscreen is good. They are great for the planet but they may still contain some ingredients that you may be better off. I think everyone should do their own research but often times less ingredients is better. I love that in this day and age there are many sunscreens that aren’t as heavy and rich as they were and don’t leave any white residue on the skin. I don’t have many options but for my face I utterly adore Kari Gran Three Sixty Five SPF 28* (review here). It is just amazing! No white residue, it’s not heavy, doesn’t break me out or dry out my skin, and also contains a gorgeous array of ingredients. LOVE. Next one is from Earthwise Beauty Farizad’s Veil SPF 30+ Powder* (review here). I love this one because you can customize it to your skin. Since it is a powder you can mix it with your favourite oil or moisturizer and make your own concoction. This one can be a bit drying if I use too much, which I actually just found out a few days ago.
One of the sunscreens that also sound good and is more affordable is Badger Rose Face Sunscreen SPF 25, but I haven’t tried it. I did use some other Badger sunscreens and yes, they are a bit rich and heavier but their ingredients are great and for that one week of summer holidays I think it’s manageable. The one I mentioned is supposedly lightweight so maybe try that. BUT I will say that one year I wasn’t that impressed with one of the Badger sunscreens. First year was good and then the next year is wasn’t. They recommended to gently but thoroughly squeeze the bottle to mix all ingredients together and that shoud do the trick. For my holidays this year I will be using Raw Elements Eco Formula SPF 30 in a plastic free tin! Unfortunately they don’t ship to Europe but I was lucky enough to buy it from Andrea via her Marketplace. I also suggest checking out Josh Rosebrook, 100% Pure, Pratima, Soleo Organics (this brand is like Badger also available in Slovenia) and Suntegrity is another brand that many green beauty bloggers have tried it. There are more but these are the ones that I can think of at this moment. Search for nano-nano Zinc Oxide based sunscreens that don’t contain any chemical filters. One other thing I also have to mention is makeup. I’m happy to report that Lily Lolo, Inika and Alima Pure are using non-nano Zinc Oxide.
If you want to learn more about Zinc Oxide then check out the post What’s up with Zinc Oxide?. I don’t know everything about this mineral but the safest option for our planet and ourselves in sunscreens today is definitely non-nano Zinc Oxide. You can also check out the Three Beautiful Non-Nano Zinc Oxide Sunscreens post from last year.
There is so much more to say about this topic but I will leave it at that. You can get some good sunscreens in some health stores but when it comes to these products it looks like online shopping is the way to go.
Hope you’re well and have a happy Monday!
Love,
Jana xx
*sample generously provided
**this post contains affiliate links
PS. You can now find me on Facebook! I finally made an account. 🙂