Start here

Natural sun protection

Everything you've wondered about clean SPF, minus the confusing bits.

Start with the active ingredient

The best SPF does two jobs: it protects you from burns and skin cancer, and it slows down skin aging. Whether it does both comes down to the active ingredient.

Chemical sunscreens use filters like avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate and octisalate. They break down in the sun, so they need lots of extra ingredients to keep working. Many are linked to hormone disruption, and most create free radicals, which age your skin faster.
Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide doesn't block UVA rays (the aging ones) as well. That's why zinc oxide is our favourite.
The catch: zinc is naturally white, so it takes real skill to make it go on smoothly. More on that below.

SPF numbers, explained

SPF 15blocks about 93%

SPF 30blocks about 97%

SPF 50blocks about 98%

Those numbers are for UVB rays. Past 30, you don't gain much. We'd pick a clean zinc SPF 30 over a chemical SPF 50 any day. Whatever's in that bottle sits on your skin all day in the sun.

What's the deal with nanoparticles?

Particle size sounds like a nerdy detail, but it matters. Here's how the options compare.

Our pick

Regular zinc oxide

It sits on top of your skin and reflects the sun instead of soaking in.

Okay, but not ideal

Nano zinc

Brands shrink zinc to nano size so it disappears on your skin. It's a concern if you breathe it in (hello, spray sunscreen), and it may harm marine life.

Our last choice

Chemical filters

They're made to absorb into your skin, and studies have found some of them in the bloodstream.

Good to know: you can't tell from the label if a sunscreen uses nanoparticles because brands don't have to say. Ask the brand, or shop somewhere that already asked. (We did.)

How to pick a good one

What's the active ingredient? Look for zinc oxide.
What comes next? Our favourites start with an oil (like sunflower) or an infusion (like green tea). If water comes first, it needs strong preservatives to stay fresh.
Does it do more than protect? If aging matters to you, pick one with antioxidants too.
What's the price telling you? Cheap usually means chemical filters, because they cost less to make than zinc. Expensive doesn't mean clean either. Lots of luxury brands hide cheap filters behind a few fancy-sounding ingredients.
Are you putting it on right? Zinc needs a little rubbing in. If your skin is dry, put on a face or body oil first and it'll glide on.

Don't give up on mineral sunscreen

Tried one years ago and hated it? Give it another go. Texture varies a lot from brand to brand, and newer formulas are much nicer than they used to be. Even truly clean ones now go on smoother, with far less white cast.