Non Toxic Sunscreen: Ingredients to Look For vs. Avoid

I almost never wear sunscreen. Now this might seem like an outrageous statement when the world has tried to convince you that the sun causes cancer and the only way to protect yourself is with sunscreen. And I hear you, that’s why I want to explain myself. Plus, I’ll recommend a few natural sunscreen options that don’t contain all of the chemicals 99% of sunscreens do.

First, let’s start off with the truth about the sun. The sun is a good thing. Scratch that, the sun is a GREAT thing. It should be treated with respect because it’s extremely powerful, but in my opinion, it should not be feared. Specifically, the sun plays 3 crucial roles in my day:

• Circadian rhythm – I start my day with 10-20 minutes of morning sunlight to wake my body up and improve my mood.
• Vitamin D – The best and most efficient source of vitamin D is the sun.
• Reduce Stress – Sun exposure increases your blood levels and releases endorphins into your blood stream. Endorphins are an important stress-response hormone.

I personally don’t want to be putting anything between my body and the sun because of the massive benefits that the sun provides. Sunscreen acts as a blocker and can mitigate these benefits.

Second, let’s look at the most common brands of sunscreens. The next time you are at the store, grab a bottle of sunscreen, flip it over and you’ll see active ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, homosalate, octocrylene, retinyl palmitate along with other harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and fragrances. It turns out these chemicals have been linked to hormone disruption and skin irritation. Yes, the substance you’re putting on your skin to protect your skin is actually harming your skin. I know, it’s ironic.

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So what should you do? Just avoid sunscreen all together? Not necessarily. I choose to not wear sunscreen but that doesn’t mean you have to. If you want a better sunscreen option, look for mineral based sunscreens like those that use zinc oxide. These sunscreens usually don’t have the long list of harmful chemicals associated with them.

My Favorite Mineral Based Sunscreen

Option 1: Babo Botanicals

Option 2: Organic Jaguar (Code: CLEANKITCHEN for 15% off)

Option 3: Badger

Option 4: Think

Bonus Option: A lot of people find that when they use mineral based sunscreen, they are left with their skin white because it doesn’t rub in as well. In that case, I recommend using one of the clear sunscreens below:

Option 1: Badger – Clear

Option 2: Babo Botanicals – Clear

Additionally, here are a few other brands I like linked on my Amazon Page as well as options for kids and babies!

If you want to go the extra mile and make your own healthy sunscreen, Paul Saladino has an excellent video where he makes animal based homemade sunscreen.

You can also listen to an episode of the Clean Kitchen Podcast here where my brother, Kevin, and I go in depth on toxic sunscreen, better options, and other non-toxic swaps you should make this summer.

Now get outside and enjoy some sun!