The warmer months are now upon us, which means it’s time to break out the sunscreen more often! But not all sunscreens are created equal. 

If you’re looking to learn more about some of the safest and best organic sunscreens to protect your skin while also caring for your health and the planet, Susanna from PrettyOrganicGirl is sharing her tips to choose the safest sunscreens—what to look for, what to avoid—and we’ll even share some of her favorite brands and products to get you started!

All of these are easily linked in MaryRuth’s Amazon Store to support other brands that have clean products for you and your family.

What to Look for in Sunscreen

Using safer sunscreens not only protects you and your family from harmful UV rays, but also preserves our beautiful reefs and marine life. Here are a few tips of what to look for as you’re shopping for sunscreen.

Active Ingredients to Choose & Avoid

Susanna recommends opting for mineral sunscreens and avoiding chemical sunscreens. This means looking for non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredient. 

Zinc oxide offers broad-spectrum protection (UVA + UVB) and is gentle on the skin. Most importantly, non-nano means the particles are too large to penetrate the skin, making it safer for long-term use.

She suggests avoiding titanium dioxide, a form that was once common in natural sunscreens but has become controversial because its topical safety is debated.

Inactive Ingredients to Note

After checking the sunscreen’s active ingredient, it’s important to also take a look at the product’s inactive ingredients.

Ideally, Susanna says, the inactive ingredients should be organic, or at least all natural, such as:

• Organic aloe vera
• Organic beeswax
• Natural sunflower oil
• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Shea butter
• Jojoba oil
• Calendula

Avoid Spray Sunscreens

Spray sunscreens can be inhaled into the lungs — something that’s not recommended, especially for children. Instead, choose creams, lotions, and stick sunscreen. The very best of them also come in sustainable, plastic-free packaging!

Our Favorite Sunscreens

Here are PrettyOrganicGirl’s favorite family-friendly sunscreens, all of which are linked in MaryRuth’s Amazon store:

• Little Hands Hawaii offers an amazing collection of organic sunscreen, all made in Hawaii with all-natural ingredients and safe for the entire family. They use organic, locally sourced ingredients and use sustainable packaging. They also offer tinted sunscreens!
• Raw Elements is another great organic sunscreen brand that even has a collection for kids as well as tinted sunscreens. As a bonus, their packaging is made with sugarcane tubes, is 100% recyclable, and comes with a post-consumer resin (PCR) cap.
  
• Badger is a Certified B Corporation with a large, Protect Land + Sea certified line of sunscreens for babies, kids, and adults. They use organic ingredients and are also certified Cruelty Free.
• Raw Love is another amazing Hawaiian brand that offers reef-safe sunscreen. Hawaii has implemented strict environmental sunscreen rules to protect its oceans and beaches.
• Butter Me Up Organics’ sunscreen comes in a glass jar and is made with certified organic ingredients.

Or, if you’d prefer to make your own sunscreen, Sky Organics’ non-nano zinc oxide powder is her recommendation! 

As a bonus, if you are looking for a self-tanner, Beauty By Earth is Susanna’s favorite and the most natural on the market.

After Sun Care

After sun care is important, too! These are the brands recommended to care for your skin after being in the sun:

• Badger makes the list again for its certified USDA organic and plastic-free Rescue Balm.
• Earthley Wellness uses all organic ingredients in its Sun Soothe, After-Sun Lotion, which is safe for kids and adults.
• Beauty by Earth offers an aloe vera gel and an aloe vera spray for hair and skin.
  

Sunscreen & Summer Ready

We hope this list helps you make informed decisions about sunscreen purchases this season. We are happy to support responsible brands that protect our families, reshape the market, and protect our planet!