Let’s talk about sunscreen, friend. By now you probably know that the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer and contributes to skin aging more quickly than it should. So, as we transition into summer + are spending a lot more of our time outside, it is more important than ever to be sure that we are incorporating sun protection into our skincare routine!

It is important to note that not all sunscreens are created equally. Some sunscreens are actually packed full of really harmful chemicals! The product meant to protect our skin can actually be doing damage to our body. Pretty ironic, right? Today I’m going to share some of the science behind sunscreen (both physical and chemical) and give advice on how you can choose a ‘safe’ sunscreen!

The Two Types of Sunscreen

Sunscreen will fall into one of two categories; chemical or physical (aka mineral).

Chemical sunscreen absorbs into the skin and then absorbs UV rays, converts them into heat, and releases them from the body. The active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene.

Physical sunscreen sits ON TOP of the skin, creating a physical barrier and reflecting the sun’s rays. The main active ingredients in physical sunscreens are the minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

You can probably already guess that 99% of the time, I would opt against chemical sunscreens. ;-) But, before I start talking about which ingredients you want to avoid in your sunscreen (+ why!), I want to talk about why some people choose chemical sunscreen if given the option.

Since chemical sunscreens are absorbed into the skin, they tend to be more water-resistant. Many chemical sunscreens are advertised for people who swim or sweat throughout the day! But, this property does increase the chance to cause skin irritation. Mineral sunscreens have much cleaner ingredients and are all-around a safer choice, but sometimes they get a bad rap for being difficult to blend into your skin + for feeling a bit heavier.

What to Look for When Shopping for Sunscreens

We’ve all heard the term, ‘SPF,’ right? The general consensus I’ve found is that we should be choosing sunscreens that are around SPF 30. There is not much reason to choose anything higher than that, either! SPF 30 blocks 97% UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98%.

But, one surprising (and important!) thing I've learned is that SPF only refers to a sunscreen’s protection against UVB rays… not UVA rays. UVB rays are what cause burning. They also are what stimulate Vitamin D production in your body! But UVA rays are what cause skin aging + damage because they have the ability to penetrate much deeper.

“So how can I protect my skin against harmful UVA rays?” Great question! Choosing a high SPF sunblock will keep your skin from getting burned, but it will not protect against UVA. So, you want to be sure that you choose a sunscreen that is considered ‘broad spectrum.’ Broad Spectrum protection is what keeps our skin safe from the UVA rays!

What to Avoid When Shopping for Sunscreen

Remember earlier when I chatted about chemical vs. physical sunscreens? Let’s talk about what exactly is in chemical sunscreens. Some of the main chemicals found in these sunscreens are oxybenzone, octinoxate, and homosalate… all three of which are known hormone disruptors (Read more about these ingredients here!).

If you are following me on Instagram, you’ve probably heard me talk a time or two about hormone disruptors. Basically, when these ingredients are in our products, they can get into our bloodstream + mimic hormones that our bodies are naturally supposed to be creating. When this happens, it disrupts our endocrine system from doing it’s job to produce the hormones that we really need! This is important. Hormone imbalances cause serious health problems (read more here)! We never, ever want to be using products that will interfere with the way our body is naturally supposed to function.

The biggest (+ most common!) culprit is oxybenzone. It scores an 8 on the EWG, which means it is one of the most toxic ingredients found in cosmetic and personal care products… yikes! A few others you would want to avoid are Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate) and any Parabens.

When we shop for sunscreen, we want to be sure to look into the ingredients + make sure there is nothing harmful. The EWG Healthy Living app or the Think Dirty app are great resources for this! We love using these apps to scan products in stores to learn more about what they are made with. I encourage you to choose sunscreens that are...

Fragrance-free (Did you know 3,000 chemicals can be hidden under the ingredient, ‘fragrance?’)
Noncomedogenic (Won’t clog pores!)
Oil-free
Paraben-free

A Look at Some Major Sunscreen Brands

I took a stroll through Target to check the ingredients on some sunscreens that I have used during my life. I was scared to see some of the ingredients I found!

Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sunscreen: I’m starting with the sunscreen that was MOST used in my household. On any given pool day or beach trip, you could find multiple bottles of this exact spray in our bag. It contains Oxybenzone + Fragrance… and rates an impressive 10 on the EWG scale. I couldn’t find another EWG 10 sunscreen on the shelves at Target — just this one. Yikes!

Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Lotion Sunscreen: This one is developed specifically for babies (we’ve even used it for Addie before!) and it not only contains Oxybenzone but also Propylparaben. Any Parabens are a big no-no in personal care products! (EWG Score: 7)

Coppertone Kids Continuous Spray: Contains three of the ingredients I warned against — Oxybenzone, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate), and Fragrance. (EWG Score: 7)

Neutrogena Beach Defense Spray: Not sure why, but I always assumed Neutrogena made safe products! This spray contains Oxybenzone and Fragrance. (EWG Score: 7)

Hawaiian Tropic Lotion Sunscreen: No Oxybenzone in this one, but it does contain ‘Fragrance.’ Along with Propylparaben and Methylparaben. (EWG Score: 8)

Banana Boat Deep Tanning UltraMist Dry Oil: This was my MOST used summer product in high school. I guess I liked the ease of an aerosol tanning oil? Contains Oxybenzone + Fragrance. (EWG Score: 6)

My Favorite Clean (+ Safe!) Sunscreen Brands

This list of sunscreens are all non-toxic and rated a 1 or a 2 from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). I mentioned this earlier in the post, but this is one of my favorite resources to use when checking the ingredients in my products!

Beautycounter (of course!)

I use + love Beautycounter sunscreen because they not only offer CLEAN ingredients that protect against harmful UVA and UVB rays, they go on streak-free without a weird chalky/white residue. Some of their most popular sun-protection products are the Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Lotion or Mist, the Mineral Sunscreen Stick and, my personal FAV, the Daily Sheer Defense for Face!

Badger

I always love a safe product that can be found at Target + on Amazon! We have tried and loved their Clear Zinc Sunscreen Cream! They also have a Kids Sunscreen Cream and a Baby Sunscreen Cream.

Supergoop!

Supergoop does one thing and that is sun protection and they do such a good job. The Everyday Play Lotion and the Mineral Sunscreen Stick are two very popular options!

Think Baby

We have a bottle of the Think Baby Safe Sunscreen for Addie and it’s amazing! Very thick + moisturizing - a 1 on the EWG scale.

About Beautycounter

If you’re curious about Beautycounter, I wrote an entire post called, ‘What’s the deal with Beautycounter?’ But in short, Beautycounter is a clean beauty company that sells high-end skincare, makeup, haircare, body care, and men’s products and kids’ products. I have been loving their products, especially their Countersun line… but even more than that, I have been so impressed by their mission, advocacy work, and support of female entrepreneurs!

If you aren’t sure where to start with Beautycounter, I would love to chat with you! I created this Custom Skincare Recommendation Questionnaire where you can answer a few questions + I will send you a list of product recommendations that suit your skin type, budget + needs! Searching for new products can feel overwhelming, especially from a company, like Beautycounter, that offers so much. I would love to help guide you in any way that I can!

Most of the links in this post are affiliate links! That means if you purchase an item using the link, I make a little bit of money without adding any extra cost to you. I really appreciate any time you purchase through these links!

How to Choose a ‘Safe’ Sunscreen