Summer and safe sunscreen seem to go hand in hand, but the truth is sun protection is important year round. UV rays from the sun can reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays also reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow.

There’s no question that the best form of sun protection is to stay out of the sun. But that’s not realistic for most of us. The next best form of natural sunscreen is to cover up with sun protective clothing, sunglasses and a big floppy hat. Most of us know that it’s not realistic to stay out of the sun or cover-up 24/7, so we need to turn to sunscreen for some additional protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

This year I wasn’t only on a mission for the safest sunscreen, but I was also determined to find a sunscreen that didn’t leave me looking like Caspar the entire summer.  Using a combination of EWG’s Skin Deep Sunscreen Guide and my friend Kathy’s 2013 SafeMama Safer Sunscreen Cheat Sheet, I knew I would find a few good options.

Sunscreen without a thick film and without nanoparticles is a tall order

Part of the problem when looking for a non-whitening safe sunscreen  is that sunscreens without nanoparticles (safer) tend to leave the classic white, thick film on our skin. Manufacturers continue to work on developing sunscreens that work, but  without the white.  The process of micronization and the creation of nanoparticles are used to reduce the white residue. But the safety of nanoparticles is still unclear so your best bet is to avoid them. Thankfully there are some good nano-free options without the white film.

Here’s what I found:

COOLA Plant UV Face Sunscreen

• Price: $33.80 for 1.7 oz.
• Buy it HERE
• SPF: Broad Spectrum SPF 30
• Active Ingredient(s):  Zinc Oxide
• EWG’s Skin Deep Rating: 1 out of 10 (low hazard) on their hazard scale.
• Texture: I really like the ease in application of this sunscreen. It come’s out of the container rather watery-much more so than I expected. It’s unscented and doesn’t leave a white or greasy film. The application is smooth and simple. I have been using this on my face and it blends in well.
• Scent: Unscented
• Other Ingredients: The list is relatively long, but nothing jumped out as a red flag.
• Verdict: Really like this sunscreen. It’s quite pricey so I will continue to use it on my face alone. This small container will probably last me the entire summer. Might not be a good option for entire body usage because of the high price point.
• Note: I also tested out Coola Mineral Face SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion, Matte Cucumber and COOLA Mineral Face Tint SPF 20, Rose Essence. Both scored a 3 out of 10 (moderate hazard) on the Skin Deep hazard scale. The Rose Essence is a sheer tint and smells wonderful. The cucumber scent was mild and unobtrusive.

Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm 

• Price: $29.45 for 3.5 oz.
• Buy it HERE
• SPF: Tested to SPF 27. Miessence submitted it for third party testing which gave it a rating of SPF level 27.
• Active Ingredient(s):  Zinc Oxide
• EWG’s Skin Deep Rating: 2 out of 10 (low hazard) on their hazard scale.
• Texture: Comes out of the container a grayish pink tint. The application is easy and feels a bit greasy and sticky. There is very little white film left after the sunscreen has been absorbed into the skin.
• Scent: Unscented
• Other Ingredients: The list is relatively short with nothing that makes me want to run. Most of the ingredients are certified organic.
• Verdict: This is a good whole body sunscreen option. It does go on a bit greasy (probably from the olive oil), but the white film is minimal. The sunscreen has a strong scent that reminded me of a baby scent.
• Special promotion: New and Preferred Customers who spend $100 of more during June will become an automatic Lifestyle Member and will receive 20% off their order. Lifestyle Members receive a 20% life time discount if they purchase at least once a year.

Episencial Sunny Screen

• Price: $11.86 for 2.7 oz.
• Buy it HERE
• SPF: Broad Spectrum SPF 35
• Active Ingredient(s):  Zinc Oxide (5.5%) and Titanium Dioxide (11%).
• EWG’s Skin Deep Rating: 1 out of 10 (low hazard) on their hazard scale.
• Texture: The sunscreen comes out in a thick, white stream, but surprisingly doesn’t leave much of a white coating and isn’t very greasy. There is some, but it’s not the worst that I’ve seen. I used it on my face and didn’t feel like I needed to shower immediately.
• Scent: It has a light scent that isn’t overpowering
• Other Ingredients: There are a few ingredients that are hard to pronounce, but nothing that jumped out as something to avoid.
• Verdict: I really like this sunscreen for several reasons. The price point is just right for starters. The sunscreen comes out in a thick, white stream, but surprisingly doesn’t leave much of a white coating. There is some, but it’s not the worst that I’ve seen. It has a light scent that isn’t overpowering. This would be a good choice for a basic family sunscreen.

Juice Beauty Sport Moisturizer

• Price: $16 for 3.75 oz.
• Buy it HERE
  
• SPF: Broad Spectrum SPF 30
• Active Ingredient(s):  Zinc Oxide.
• EWG’s Skin Deep Rating: 2 out of 10 (low hazard) on their hazard scale.
• Texture: The sunscreen comes out in a thick, pink stream, and doesn’t leave any white residue. It’s a little sticky, but not bad. I used it on my body and it blended in well.
• Scent: It has a strong scent that’s pleasant.
• Other Ingredients: This sunscreen is Certified Organic and list of ingredients isn’t terribly long. Most ingredients were recognizable and pronounceable-always a good sign!
• Verdict: Juice Beauty always seems to score well in my book. The sunscreen is easy to apply and just a bit sticky. There is hardly any residue probably due to the pink tint. I like that this sunscreen is water resistant up to 80 minutes since we are active for much of our time outside. The scent is quite strong so probably wouldn’t be a good choice for those with scent sensitivities.

Honest Sunscreen

• Price: $20.95 for 3 oz.
• Buy it HERE
• SPF: 30
• Active Ingredient(s): Non-nano zinc oxide
• EWG’s Skin Deep Rating: 1 out of 10 (low hazard) on hazard scale.
• Texture: This is a new formulation this year and isn’t quite as messy as it used to be. The lotion is still thick, but spreads easily. Various types of oil (olive and sunflower) are ingredients, making the lotion a bit greasy. There is a slight white/off white tint to the skin after application, but it’s not as noticable as it was previously.
• Scent: This lotion has a light fragrance.
• Other Ingredients: There aren’t many ingredients and most are organic. Nothing jumped out as a potential hazard.
• Verdict: I really like the small number of ingredients used to make this sunscreen-most of them being organic. The cost is reasonable. The change in formulation this year makes the sunscreen much better. The white residue is almost non-existent, with a bit of stickiness remaining. Great choice for the entire body.

Looking for a few more options for safe sunscreen? Check out THESE.

What’s your favorite sunscreen and why?

photo credit: adwriter via photopin cc

Disclosure: I received samples of each of the sunscreens reviewed. All opinions are my very own. There are also a few affiliate links in this post. Any purchases will help support this blog. Thank you!