NATURAL FACE SUNSCREEN REVIEW:

Over the last few years I’ve been focusing on taking extra good care of my skin! Wearing a facial sunscreen daily (rain or shine) is important to help prevent premature aging, photo damage and skin cancer. In this article I’m going to go over my favourite natural facial sunscreens to help protect your beautiful skin! I’m going to show you a variety of products I love and hopefully there will be an option for everyone. I will talk about what I love about them, their ingredients and who I think they would be best for. You can also check out the Youtube video down below where I talk about my favourite natural facial sunscreen options.

What should I look for in sunscreen?

• Physical protection (instead of chemical)
• Non nano zinc oxide
• Clean, natural ingredients (preferably organic)
• Reef safe
• Minimal white cast
• Broad spectrum (blocks both UVA and UVB rays)

Physical VS Chemical sunscreen:

I alway opt for a physical sunscreen. Physical sunblock sits on top of the skin and reflects the sun’s rays (kind of like tiny mirrors). The minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the main active ingredients in physical blocks. Chemical sunscreen absorbs into the skin and then absorbs UV rays, converts the rays into heat, and releases them from the body. The active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include avobenzone, octinoxate and oxybenzone. Chemical sunscreens can cause skin irritation for many people and have shown to cause hormonal issues.

Non Nano Zinc Oxide:

Many sunscreens have been using nano-sized particles to formulate lotions that rub in more easily and leave less of a white tint. The concern with nano sized particles is that it can be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. I choose to only use non nano zinc oxide based sunblock because I believe it is the safest choice.

Reef Safe:

If you’re planning on wearing your sunscreen while in the ocean, make sure it’s reef safe. Hawaii is the first state in the US to ban the sale of sunscreen containing the chemical sunscreen ingredients Oxybenzone and octinoxate. According to www.hawaii.com: “Oxybenzone and octinoxate are two ingredients believed to contribute to coral bleaching. When coral bleaches, it is not dead, but under significant stress and subject to increased mortality levels. According to the National Park Service, 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter coral reefs every year. These now banned chemicals are believed to be one of the contributing factors to the coral reef destruction. Most popular sunscreen brands are known to contain these dangerous chemicals. 

MY TOP NATURAL FACIAL SUNSCREEN PICKS:

Kari Gran “Three Sixty Five SPF 28

Awards # Best “everyday” facial sunscreen

The Kari Gran “Three sixty five SPF 28” is my perfect everyday sunscreen. It’s a physical, broad spectrum, facial sunscreen designed to be used 365 days of the year. It contains 17% non nano zinc oxide in a base of luxurious oils like raspberry seed oil, French plum oil and Macadamia nut seed oil. I love the simplicity of the ingredient list (check it out down below). It’s made with high quality, organic, wildharvested and non-GMO ingredients.

Since this sunscreen contains so many oils, You want to shake it really well before applying. The first few pumps may come out as a clear oil the first time you use it, so just keep shaking until it turns opaque. Kari Gran says that you can mix it with a powdered mineral makeup to create your own tinted sunscreen. I have read some reviews from people saying it left their skin oily, however I don’t find this at all! I find it works perfectly with my skin. I also don’t experience the dreaded white cast with this. The trick for me is to work it into the skin. I love it!

Click here to purchase the Kari Gran “Three sixty five SPF 28”

Kari Gran “Three Sixty Five” SPF 28 Ingredients:

active Ingredients: Non-Nano Zinc Oxide 17%​ ​ Inactive Ingredients: Non-GMO Rubus Ideaus (Red Raspberry Seed) Oil, Non-GMO Prunus Domestica (French Plum Seed) Oil, Organic Macadamia Ternifolia (Macadamia Nut Seed) Oil, Non-GMO Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui Seed) Oil, Organic Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Seed) Oil, Organic Beeswax, Tocopherol (Non-GMO Vitamin E from Sunflower)

Josh Rosebrook “Nutrient Day Cream” SPF 30

Award # Best luxury facial sunscreen

If you’re looking for a luxury sunscreen packed with nourishing ingredients… look no further! The Josh Rosebrook Nutrient day cream feels extremely lightweight (not greasy at all) on the skin. It also blends into your skin like a dream, so you don’t have to worry about the dreaded “white cast”. It doubles as a moisturizer and sunscreen, leaving a semi matte finish on your skin. I find that I sometimes like to add a bit of extra moisturizer or oil underneath for added hydration. However you could definitely skip the extra moisturizer if you have oily skin. It also comes in a tinted version, however I’ve never tried it and tend to stick with non-tinted sunscreens for myself. This and the Kari Gran sunscreen are my absolute holy grails!

The only con I’ve found with this sunscreen is that if I layer it over certain serums I get a “pilling effect” where it leaves little white pieces on my face. I have only experienced this a couple times and it’s easily avoided by not layering too many products underneath. Oh, and the price is expensive, but when you see the luxurious ingredient list you’ll know why!

Click here to purchase the Josh Rosebrook “Nutrient day cream spf 30”

Josh Rosebrook “Nutrient Day Cream” SPF 30 Ingredients:

*Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, *Shea Butter, 12% Zinc Oxide (Non Nano, Uncoated, Micronized), *Evening Primrose Oil, *Hemp Seed Oil, *Borage Seed Oil, *Sea Buckthorn Oil, *Olive Oil, *Avocado Oil,*Almond Oil,*Sesame Oil, *Jojoba Oil,*Grape Seed Oil, *Broccoli Oil, ‡Candelilla Wax, *Gum Arabic, *Guar Gum, §Xanthan Gum, *Calendula, *Bilberry, *Chamomile, *Burdock, *Rosemary, *Dandelion, *Rose Hips, *Catnip, *Chickweed, *Neem, *Skullcap, *Ginkgo Leaf, *Linden Flower, *Hawthorn Berry, *Green Tea, *Flax, *Nettle, *Sage, *Marshmallow Root, *Cayenne, *Ginseng, *Peppermint, *Alfalfa, *Vitamin E, Potassium Sorbate, *Benzoin Resin, †Carrot Seed Oil.  *Certified Organic  †Organic  ‡Wildcrafted  §Non-GMO Plant Sourced

 

Badger “All Seasons Face Stick” SPF 35

Award # Most convenient facial sunscreen 

I really love the stick formulation of this sunscreen because I can throw it in my bag and bring it with me on the go. It contains 22.5% Non Nano Zinc oxide and is in a base of very minimal, clean organic ingredients (see ingredients below). It’s a dryer formula, so I recommend layering this over well moisturized skin. I wouldn’t necessarily wear this as a “daily” facial sunscreen. Instead I prefer it for quick sunscreen touch ups and beach days (It’s water resistant for 80 mins). They also have their regular tubes of sunscreen, which I’ve used on my body many times. However I find those to be too thick and leave a white cast on my face.

I also use this sunscreen to protect the back of my hands. The stick formula makes it easy to apply without getting your fingers/palms greasy from the sunscreen. The skin on the back of the hands is always exposed to the elements, therefore will age faster on this part of our body. I protect my face and hands daily from the sun to help prevent premature aging and photo damage.

Click here to purchase the Badger “All seasons face stick SPF 35” 

Badger “All Seasons Face Stick” SPF 35 Ingredients:

Active Ingredients: Non-Nano Zinc Oxide 22.5%​ ​ Inactive Ingredients: Olive fruit oil, *Beeswax, *Cacao seed butter, *Shea butter, Tocopherol (sunflower vitamin E). *Certified Organic

 

Raw Elements Sunscreen SPF 30

Award # Best zero waste facial sunscreen for beach days

It’s so important to take care of the environment and Raw Elements makes it a bit easier with their “zero waste” Face and Body sunscreen. It comes in a tin and contains no plastic in the packaging. It also performs great! I wore it to the beach many times during summer and didn’t burn it once. It’s water resistant beyond 80 minutes, has super clean ingredients and is perfect for kids. It’s perfect for those of you who are active and sweat a lot! It’s one of the most popular natural sunscreens out there so It took me a while to finally buy it since it was constantly sold out.

I also bought the tinted version, however I found it to be a tiny bit too dark on my casper white skin. I think the tinted version would be excellent for those of you with deeper skin tones since the original might leave a white cast. They also have a tube and a stick formula, if you don’t like the tin. Because I know sometimes tins can be annoying. Especially for me since I have longer nails Its kind of annoying to scoop out. However I wanted to feature the tin because I like the idea of no plastic “zero waste” packaging.

Click here to purchase the Raw Elements “Face and Body SPF 30”

Raw Elements “Face and Body Sunscreen” SPF 30 Ingredients:

Active Ingredients: Non-Nano Zinc Oxide 23%​ ​ Inactive Ingredients: Sunflower Oil*, Green Tea*, Black Tea*, Coffee Bean*, Hemp Seed Oil*, Cocoa Butter*, Mango Butter**, Beeswax*, Rosemary Oil Extract**, Vitamin E** 

* USDA Certified Organic ** Certified Natural

 

Suntegrity “Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer Spf 30

Award # Top rated facial sunscreen

Suntegrity makes some of the most top rated natural sunscreen products on the market. They have SPF tinted moisturizers, foundations, lip products, etc… to cover all your sun protection needs. Their “Natural moisturizing face sunscreen and primer” is described as a 3 in 1 product. It’s a moisturizer, sunscreen and primer (for under your makeup). I used to use this one all the time. However since discovering the Kari Gran and Josh Rosebrook sunscreens, I no longer reach for this one. That being said, this is a classic for natural sunscreens so I had to mention it! The scent in this one may be a bit much for certain people (It smells great, but there is definitely a stronger scent compared to the other sunscreens I’ve mentioned).

Click here to purchase Suntegrity’s “Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer

Suntegrity “Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer Spf 30 Ingredients:

Zinc oxide 20%, Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Capric Caprylic Triglycerides (Coconut Oil Extract), Sorbitan Stearate (Plant Derived), Glyceryl Stearate (Plant Derived), Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate (Plant Derived), Hexyl Laurate (Plant Derived), Simmondsia Chinensis (Organic Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cetyl Dimethicone (Mineral Derived), Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt), Helianthus Annuus (Organic Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Organic Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Astaxanthin (Algae Source), Hyaluronic Acid (Plant Derived), Chlorella Emersonii (Red Algae) Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum (Organic Pomegranate) Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Essential Oil, Citrus Sinensis (Sweet Orange) Essential Oil,Citrus Reticulata Blanco (Tangerine) Essential Oil, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide*, Ethylhexylglycerin*. 

*Paraben-free anti-microbial agent

So those are my all time favourite natural facial sunscreens! I would also recommend wearing a hat for extra sun protection for your face/hair. You can also wear gloves to protect your hands when driving or times you know you will be in the sun for a while. However remember to allow part of your skin to be exposed to the sun for a bit everyday to make sure you are getting adequate vitamin D levels!

WATCH MY NATURAL FACIAL SUNSCREEN VIDEO HERE: