Beach days are finally here (woo hoo!!!!) and with that comes the need for sunscreen! Every year I am searching for the best mineral sunscreens and each year I find new ones that I love. Before we get to the ones I recommend this year let’s start with why I choose mineral over traditional sunscreens. To each their own and people should choose what works best for them and their families, but I am someone who tries to go the natural route when possible (but trust me we still use a lot of things that are not all natural or all organic) and sunscreen is definitely one of those things I prefer to be as natural as possible!
I always have read how chemical sunscreens, specifically, oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate are not great for you. And, after some research, I’ve learned that they’re really pretty bad for you! They supposedly can enter your bloodstream and cause hormone disruptions, cause allergic reactions, seep into breast milk, turn into free radicals when exposed to the sun (which is is crazy to me since they are meant for the sun!), they can even become toxic when exposed to chlorine, and they are bad for the ocean, bleaching and killing the coral reefs. So with reading all of that I decided to switch to mineral sunscreens, which are sunscreens that contain only titanium dioxide and/or non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredients. These two ingredients have been deemed fully safe by the FDA and are less irritating for sensitive skin! Make sure you read labels though when looking for sunscreens, as sometimes you will see the label calling it a mineral sunscreen but it will still have some of the chemical ingredients in it as well. My husband wants to kill me every time we are at the store as I am always ‘taking forever’ because I’m reading the labels of basically everything. But you have to since sometimes these sneaky companies can confuse you with their labeling (not cool!). This year a new pilot study conducted by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, an arm of the US Food and Drug Administration, came out basically confirming that it takes just one day of use for these chemicals to enter into your bloodstream at levels high enough that it has now triggered a government safety investigation. So with all of that I decided to just stay away. We need sunscreen though, since more Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all other cancers combined! So please use something, since anything is better than nothing when it comes to protecting your skin!
I’m sure some of you are thinking that if you use mineral sunscreens you are going to look like a ghost and trust me there are many brands out there that will leave you looking like Casper. Just look at my kids below from last summer. My little one on the right was clearly not too happy! LOL!
Clearly last summer our face sunscreen did leave this film (see above pics) but we didn’t get sunburned so we just stuck with the brands we were using since I couldn’t really find one that rubbed in totally clear. This year however, I’ve tried a bunch more and I think the options are definitely better! There are now a lot of great brands to chose from that offer awesome protection and rub in easily and overall, pretty clear. Here are some of my favorite brands for the whole family!
Mineral Sunscreen Tip – Make sure to re-apply every 40-60 mins and after swimming. I know all sunscreens say this but this REALLY applies to the natural mineral ones.
Favorite Spray On Sunscreens
I love so many Sun Bum products from their mineral sunscreens to their leave-in hair treatments and their after sun cool down lotion (scroll to the bottom for more on that). Some of their products do have the chemical sunscreens listed above so I stay away from those but they have so many great other mineral options too! This SPF 30 spray-on is my new favorite for the entire family. First off, it smells amazing! Like a coconut, tropical dream. Secondly, it rubs in clear. Fair warning though for those who are used to traditional sunscreen sprays that actually spray on clear, this does not do that. This, like most mineral sunscreen sprays, does come out white but it will rub in clear. I like to spray it in my hands and then rub on them when I am doing their upper body as my kids are still little and I get nervous that they are going to breathe it in. Yes, I am a nervous nelly plus a hypochondriac so it’s fun times in my house when some isn’t feeling good. LOL.
Bare Republic is another great brand for mineral sunscreens! This spray-on is pretty transparent once you rub it in, but you really need to rub it in good or you may have a little white residue (very, very minimal if anything)! It is SPF 50 and also smells amazing! The Vanilla Coconut is my favorite but it also comes in different scents too like Coconut Mango and Citrus!
Favorite Face Sunscreens
LOVE this lightweight, non-sticky, paraben-, fragrance-, sulfate-, dye-, petroleum-, silicone-, and tear free SPF 50 that rubs in completely clear! You can use this on your body, of course, but it’s a pretty small bottle so we use this just for our faces or any beauty marks or scars any of us have that need extra protection. It is so gentle and tear free so it is perfect for all ages and anyone with sensitive skin.
This face lotion sunscreen from Bare Republic is SPF 30 and has a light tint to it, allowing it to rub in easily and with no white residue! It’s great for the beach but you can use this as an every day sunscreen for your face and under makeup as well. I have two other sunscreens that I prefer for every day use under my makeup that I listed below but this is a great option too that I always use at the beach!
I found this sunscreen when Blake Lively shared a picture of her makeup drawer and this was inside. I was looking for a new lightweight sunscreen that would be good for under makeup but not cause me to become shiny or oily, so when I saw this in her drawer, I decided to check it out. When I first looked it up the price was a bit more than I wanted to spend ($46 for a small bottle) but figured it’s worth a shot since I’m semi-obsessed with everything Blake Lively. I went ahead and bought it and can honestly say I love it!!! The bottle is small but so far I have had it for over a month and it feels pretty full still. You just need the littlest bit and from other reviews I have read it has lasted some people up to six months! It goes on super lightweight and does not leave me feeling greasy at all. It is SPF 50 and has a sheer, nude tint to it that is perfect as a makeup base and even delicate enough for the eye area. Apply this in the morning after your serums and creams.
I think Coola has so many awesome mineral and/ organic sunscreens and products and there are so many that I want to try but this one is a winner! It is a SPF 30, matte tint, BB cream, which provides sun protection but also works as your daytime lotion, delivering lightweight hydration, while helping to reduce shine, and giving your skin a fresh-looking hint of coverage.
Awesome Lotion Sunscreens
Another great brand is the Tru line of sunscreens. They have Tru Baby and Tru Kid, with Tru Baby being extra delicate and gentle for your baby’s sensitive skin. They have so many different options from daily, to water resistant lotion and convenient stick options that are 100% natural. While I love this brand and own many of the different sunscreens they offer, they do leave a very slight, white residue on your skin. But they are all natural, safe for the entire family, and have some of the best EWG (Environmental Working Group) ratings out there since they are natural, reef safe, and sustainably sourced.
After Sun Care
After a day in the sun and we have taken our showers and baths I either rub coconut oil on all of us or use this awesome smelling Sun Bum Cool Down lotion. It’s made with moisturizing ingredients such as Aloe Lotion, Tea Tree Leaf Oil, Cocoa Butter, Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E. It’s a light, non-greasy formula that absorbs quickly and leaves skin smooth and soft. Plus it’s hypoallergenic and made with Vegan and Reef Friendly ingredients!