6 Best Clean Non Toxic Sunscreens (2024)
Knowing which best clean non toxic sunscreen to put on your family when nice weather hits should be a top priority. It is healthy to get sun, so don't obsess about blocking all sun all of the time. However, you do need to be ready with a safe sunscreen option when it comes time to apply one.
Traditional Sunscreens are filled with harmful chemicals that absorb into the skin. There are now many safer sunscreen alternatives out there, but which one should you choose?
I have narrowed down a list of natural sunscreen options that will allow for you choose the right product for you.
Getting sun is healthy for you. It provides you with vitamin D which is important and many do not get enough of. You want to make sure you get the right balance of sun and sun protection.
Picking the time of day to absorb the rays will make a huge difference in how much protection you need and how often you need to apply the sunscreen. The amount of time spent in the sun will of course factor in greatly as well.
This being the case, make sure that whichever non toxic sunscreen you opt to buy is applied according to the directions on the container. Many people overlook this, and the results will not fairly show what the product is truly capable of.
My family is sensitive to everything under the sun (ha)! We pick our products very carefully. If your skin is sensitive in particular, there are products that are specifically tailored for eczema and sensitive skin. I have labeled the items accordingly below.
This Post Shows the Absolute 6 Best clean non toxic sunscreen options that will protect You and your Family's skin from the sun.
What it Reef Safe Sunscreen?
Before we get too far in, I want to explain what the terms reef-friendly and non-nano refer to and why they are important in a sunscreen if you plan on spending time in the ocean, river or lake.
Chemicals negatively effect ocean life. The ingredients that we apply to our body are carried into the water, then are absorbed into all living things of the water.
Not only is it sad and harmful for the ocean/water life, but it is also dangerous for the people who eat the things found in the ocean. The chemicals absorbed by marine life are in turn put into our bodies when we consume them. A concerning issue both ways.
Non-nano means that the product does not contain nano-zinc oxide. This is important because Nano means it is small enough to penetrate into the living things of the water and cause harm.
Reef-friendly means that the ingredients in the product don't have a negative impact on the marine life overall.
Here is a site explaining further that you can check out for more information.
How Zinc Oxide Protects you from the sun
Zinc oxide provides broad spectrum protection, meaning it protects you from both UVA and UVB sunrays.
It provides a reflective field for the body against the sun. This means It deflects the sun off of the body so the rays are not able to absorb into the body. How well this works is dependent on the right amount of zinc being applied to the skin.
Apply natural sunscreen properly
It is important to apply sunscreen according to the recommendation on the packaging.
Also, be mindful of how much you rub the sunscreen in. Leaving enough on the skin will provide a more effective barrier against the sun. If you choose to rub the sunscreen in thoroughly, then consider applying it more often.
SPF Level of Suncreen
Many of the sunscreens below are around a SPF 30. This provides you with 97% protection from the sun's rays. A SPF of 50 protects you from 98% of the sun's rays. This is only a 1% difference.
Therefore, a SPF 30 sunscreen provides adequate sun protection overall if used properly.
Realize a mineral based sunscreen is only one level of protection. Hydration, shade, proper clothing, time of day in which sun is sought all play factors in sun protection.
(The sunscreen product list below is not in any particular order.)
Best Clean non toxic sunscreen Products
#1 Trukid
- Trukid sunscreen comes in many varieties (Everyday, Sport, Eczema, Baby)
- This product protects from both UVA and UVB rays
- It is a mineral based sunscreen
- The sunscreen holds an Excellent Rating on the EWG scale
- Trukid is Reef-friendly
- It contains Non-Nano Zinc
This Sunscreen is a great product and has many specific varieties to choose from. It indicates the usage of many organic ingredients in their product, although they do not say they are certified organic. Please visit their site by clicking on one of the links below to see the list of organic ingredients used.
Trukid has a sunscreen specifically for eczema and sensitive skin which is truly excellent. Make sure to purchase the Trukid sunscreen formulated specifically for eczema problems if you have this condition.
Eczema is a problem for so many people, including our family. We, however, have gotten it under control addressing our underlying health issues. Although this is the case, we know that eczema still arises due to so many unhealthy factors plaguing our bodies daily.
That is why it is important to spot test sunscreens that are specifically designed to take your sensitive skin's needs into account.
Trukid has been proven to not be problematic to many people who have eczema. This is due to the clean sunscreen ingredients that are helpful to soothing eczema while still including sun protecting ingredients that don't irritate the skin.
The sunscreen ranks with a 1 on the Environment Working Group's website known as EWG. A website that puts the product's ingredients to the test by testing their level of harmful chemicals.
Note that this product specifically states that the product should be applied approximately every 40 minutes as well as reapplied according to specific circumstances labeled on product. Make sure to follow the directions to get the best results for your family.
Although the name is Trukid, this sunscreen can be used by anyone. It is designed by a mom of 6, so her focus was creating it safe enough for her kids to use.
#2 Green Goo Solar Goo
- It is ranked as Excellent on the EWG website
- This product is also reef-safe
- The product uses organically sourced ingredients although it is not certified
- Green Goo is mindful of humanitarian and Philanthropy practices
- It comes in container and stick form
Green Goo Solar Goo is a great sunscreen option that uses 7 organically sourced herbs and oils in their non toxic sunscreen products.
They do not carry the certified organic label, but they indicate that they carefully source their ingredients from organic farmers.
This natural sunscreen also uses fair trade principles and mindfully uses the whole plant when incorporating the organic plant ingredient into the sunscreen.
It is also important to note that they infuse the oils themselves instead of using extracts that are premade like some of their competitors. This ensures a better medicinal value when using their sunscreen protection.
The sunscreen goes on clear and rubs in without much resistance.
It is recommended to apply hourly, unless you are in water, then it is to be reapplied every 40 minutes or so.
This product is also reef-safe, so feel free to use it in river or ocean play without worry about harming water life.
Green Goo strongly believes in giving back. This is shown through their humanitarian support to charities and volunteering efforts.
They carry a whole line of products from natural first aid relief, baby salves, deodorants, to body lotions and body butters.
Green Goo sunscreen is a great clean non toxic sunscreen option for you and your family to use when having fun in the sun.
#3 Celtic Complexion
- An all organic ingredients sunscreen
- It is reef-safe.
- Celtic Complexion uses non-Nano zinc
- The sunscreen has very few ingredients.
- This comes in sensitive skin, stick form and a tinted sun protection moisturizer.
- Celtic is created by an esthetician who has worked years in the beauty industry
- They sell other high quality natural beauty products as well.
Celtic Complexion is a great choice for a clean non toxic sunscreen for all of the reasons listed above, but especially their use of all organic ingredients in the sensitive and stick formulations.
The company recommends that you exfoliate and moisturize prior to applying their product for best absorption.
I recommend applying a moisturizer beforehand or rubbing it in with a sun safe moisturizer beforehand to help spread the lotion.
Zinc is white, and depending upon the tone of your skin, the sunscreen may be more visible. This problem can also be alleviated by warming the sunscreen in your hands before applying to the skin.
The tinted moisturizer, that is also able to be used as sun protection, comes in different shades to best accommodate you skin type.
Again, this natural sunscreen is safe to use in the rivers and oceans without harming water life creatures.
It is recommended that you apply this sunscreen every couple of hours for best results.
The creator of Celtic Complexion is a well-known esthetician that created a line that uses organic and all natural ingredients versus the unnatural product types she used to work with.
Celtic Complexion organic face stick sunscreen
Celtic Complexion organic sunscreen lotion
Celtic Complexion tinted moisturizer with sun protection
#4 Erbaviva Organic
- This sunscreen is award winning
- It is formulated with herbs, aloe, oils and zinc
- Erbaviva is reef safe and uses non-Nano zinc
- The sunscreen comes in a formula for baby as well
This sunscreen is a fantastic option to choose for a non toxic sunscreen. It is formulated with oils and herbs to provide healthy skin benefits while containing sun deflecting ingredients.
The fact that it comes in a baby formulation is wonderful as well. Parents give great reviews on how well it works.
They especially like the fact that it does not leave as strong of a white tint film. If that is something that specifically bothers you, you may want to give this sunscreen a try.
Aloe is an ingredient used to provide additional healing benefits to the skin. I love what aloe does for the skin.
Reapplying this sunscreen every few hours is recommended, or after towel drying or constant use of the water.
The fact that this natural sunscreen comes in both a regular and baby formula definitely offers many parents a peace of mind when it comes to babies in the sun.
Erbaviva Organic Sunscreen from Amazon
Erbabiva Regular and Baby Sunscreen Options
#5 Pacific Beach Organics- Riptide Sunscreen
- Pacific Beach Riptide Sunscreen is certified organic
- It is reef safe and non Nano zinc is used in their formulation
- This sunscreen comes in both white and tinted options
- Only a few ingredients are used
Riptide Sunscreen is the name of the sunscreen that is made by Pacific Beach Organics. The company is passionate about ocean life and protecting it.
This natural sunscreen is broad spectrum, protecting the body from both UVA and UVB waves with the use of non-Nano zinc Oxide.
The company states that the this organic sunscreen won't sting the eyes due to the sunscreen running down into the eyes.
Applying the natural sunscreen every 2 hours should ensure safety from sunburn, however, this will be dependent on the time of day, how often you are in the water and if you use a towel to dry off.
The great thing about this company is that they sell a tinted version as well using organic cocoa butter. This is to offset the whiteness that comes from using zinc oxide in the product. If you find the white color to be too much, then you may want to opt for the tinted version.
Riptide Suncreen by Pacific Beach Organics
#6 Made Of Sunscreen
- This sunscreen is designed for baby but can be used by anyone
- It is made with 75% organic ingredients, the other are natural
- You can view the independent testing done on their website
This sunscreen is specifically designed with baby in mind.
It has rave reviews from parents, but I have not tried this one myself.
The ingredients they use are of a very high standard. They disclose testing done on their products on their website. They also let you view information about the factories that their ingredients come from. This gives parents a peace of mind that the product is safe for their baby.
Although this clean, non toxic product is formulated for baby, anyone is able to use the product.
This product has been accredited in magazines such as Forbes, Parents and Business Insider.
Natural Sunscreen Overview
Choosing a sunscreen that is the right fit for you can be quite a daunting process. The most important things to look for are the use of as many organic ingredients as possible, the ingredients used to ensure it is safe, natural and will provide protection, and if it is a reef safe sunscreen.
Protecting you and your family's skin from an overabundance of sun is important to ensure damage is not caused to the skin. No one wants a painful sunburn, and you sure don't want it on your child's sensitive skin.
This post lists the 6 absolute best clean non toxic sunscreen Choices. Protect you and your loved ones from the sun with smart sun choices and by using a natural sunscreen.
Enter your text here...
