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  1. Hello Irina, You’ve provided very helpful information, thanks very much. I’m always on the lookout for non toxic sunscreen and it has become an increasingly difficult task.

    In May 2021, Valisure released a citizen’s petition on Benezene in Sunscreen. Although their list is comprehensive, they haven’t tested each and every sunscreen and spf lotion on the market. In addition, even though some of their tested sunscreen batches were deemed benzene free…many of those products still include toxic chemicals.

    So perhaps it would be best to cross reference non toxic sunscreens against Valisure’s list of benzene free products ?

  2. Hi Irina-

    Thanks for this post!

    What about Mad Hippie advanced skin care facial SPF 30+ UVA/UVB BROAD-SPECTRUM?

    Thank you!!!

    Charlotte

  3. Irina, I am allergic to PEG and to D-tocopherol. Can you recommend any sunscreen for me? I can’t find a any!

  4. Hi Irina,

    Thank you for this guide! Thank you for the whole website. I’ve just started using it tons.

    I just bought the Pure Haven sunscreen, but it was too thick and white. I wanted to get the Crunchi sunscreen, but it’s out of stock. Would you say the Crunchi sunscreen has a better consistency? If so, I’ll try it as soon as they get it back in. In the meantime, which would you say is the next best that has a good consistency? I use EltaMD and love how it goes on, but now I realize it’s toxic. Gahhhhh.

    Warmly,
    Carina

    1. Crunchi sunscreen is thick, but not greasy but it does leave a whitening effect, too. I think you will like Blissoma sunscreen. Have you considered it? ~Irina

  5. Hi there!

    I am super excited to see your updated guide! I finally found my holy grail *tinted* face sunscreen—which is Suntegrity Impeccable Skin. It’s the only product from their line that is silicone free and works with my more oily skin. However, I am searching all over for the best non toxic sheer face sunscreen for when I’m home or getting really sweaty while working out. The problem I have with many you have listed and other sites, is when dealing with blemish prone skin, we cannot, (at least for most of my reactive skin green beauty peeps) use coconut oil. And it’s in almost everyday suggested non toxic sunscreen. Do you have any suggestions for a sheer, coconut oil free, facial sunscreen?!

    Thank you so much!
    Brittney

  6. Hi Irina, I wonder if you’ve ever looked at The Organic Pharmacy sunscreen, ingredients below. I’d love to know your thoughts:

    Cellular Protection SunCream SPF 30
    100 ml59% Organic
    Hydrating broad-spectrum mineral sun protection suitable for both the face and body, with extracts of Rose Hip and Calendula. Suitable for Vegans.

    QUANTITY:
    *Aloe Barbardensis Leaf Juice Powder, Aqua (Water), Zinc Oxide , **Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, *Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, *Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, *Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, *Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Ascorbic Acid, *Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Citrus Grandis, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Isostearic Acid, Lactic Acid, Lecithin, Parfum (Fragrance), Silica, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Hexyl Cinnamaldehyde, Geraniol, D-Limonene, Linalool

    *Ingredients from organic farming ** Made using organic ingredients

    1. Hi, Shar: Yes, I have. In fact, I researched the whole brand. I do not recommend their sunscreen because it has fragrance and they do not disclose the ingredients of it. Per the International Fragrance Association, there are 3,999 chemicals used in fragrance mixes. And among them, there are allergens, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens. Also, they use Citrus Grandis as a preservative, which I talked about in the post here: https://ireadlabelsforyou.com/waterwipes-baby-wipes-natural-or-toxic/ And last, they do not disclose sunscreen ingredients as the FDA requires. ~Irina

  7. My major issue with sunscreen is that I’m allergic to Tocopherol and most have it in them! Also it can’t be oil based because my foundation is water and aloe based.
    ..

  8. Hi Irina! Thank you so much for putting such hard work into this research! I wish I’d found your website sooner, as I just ordered a new sunscreen: First Aid Beauty’s WEIGHTLESS LIQUID MINERAL SUNSCREEN WITH ZINC OXIDE SPF 30.

    Would you mind perusing the ingredients and letting me know your thoughts?

    Here are the ingredients: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Zinc Oxide 16.8%.
    INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:
    Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Water/Aqua/Eau, Isododecane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Tetradecane, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Poly-Decene, Dimethicone, Polypropylene, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sorbitan Oleate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Tridecane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Acrylates Copolymer, Quaternium-90 Bentonite, Dimethicone Crosspol-Ymer, Octyldodecanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Lecithin, Isostearic Acid, Propylene Carbonate, Hexadecene, Butylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Magnesium Oxide, Alumina, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides).

    Thank you for all you do!

  9. Hi Irina,

    Would you pls suggest a good baby formula. I always follow your suggestions.
    This will help me a lot and my baby.

    Thank you

  10. Thank you for all your in-depth research Irina. Because of your great review, I used Blissoma’s Photonic for 3-1/2 months while wintering for the first time in Florida this winter. I love it. It’s not whitening. It feels very nice on my skin. And I never got a sunburn (except the time when I didn’t use it.) Altho it’s pricey, I also used it on my arms and legs when they were going to be exposed extra long. Prior to finding out about Blissoma, I was mostly living by “no-sunscreen is safer than toxic-sunscreen.” I’m not a “sun-bather” but I really enjoy being outdoors. Last summer I tried Annmarie’s but I thought it was greasy feeling, which made my hair stick to my face, it was whitening on my skin so I only used it working around my yard. One other thing about it was that it had a sweet scent to it that always made me think that the neighbor’s baking was wafting over into my yard–finally one day I realized it was the sunscreen I had on and there went that image of my neighbor baking away and never sharing with us! …I feel good about using Blissoma on my skin daily…Now we just need some sun-shiney days!

  11. I tried the Annemarie Gianni sunscreen but it was too greasy for me. I use Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream SPF 30 and LOVE it!

  12. Hi Irina,
    Are there updates on your sunscreen reviews? 🙂 I’m in the market for a sunscreen this year. Last year I used All Terrain Aqua Sport liquid but I thin it’s been discontinued. What do you think of Beauty Counter’s sunscreen stick? Ingredients: Active ingredient: Zinc Oxide 15.4% Ingredients: Coco-Caprylate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Nonanoate, Mica, Coconut Alkanes, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Lauryl Laurate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Fruit Extract, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil*, Punica Granatum Seed Oil*, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil*, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Silica, Eschscholzia Californica Leaf Cell Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract. *Organic

    There is also an All Terrain sunscreen cream that is unscented that I may try. Active Ingredienst: Zinc Oxide 16.0% Inactive ingredients: Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methyl Cellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Extract, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Xanthan Gum, Extracts of Fucus Vesiculosus (Bladderwrack), Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed, Laminaria Digitata (Sea Kelp), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Citric Acid.

  13. Ps I bought Crunchi based on your recommendation! Thank you for enlightening us on the brand and product!

  14. Hi Irina! What did you decide about Suntegrity – I just bought that one based on Mommy Board suggestion.

      1. As a darker skin tone, pigmented physical sunscreens are a must – no amount of time or rubbing removes the white tint. I’d love if you included your reviews of those in future years (I understand the reason you did not this year) because it would be so helpful. And hopefully your reviews of tinted sunscreens and the attention it gets will spur action for companies to go EcoCert made in the US or Europe! For me, I am using Sunintegrity 5 in 1 tinted because it’s the safest non-whitening sunblock I’ve been able to find that doesn’t turn me pinkish white. I’d love to hear from you or others on their view or other suggestions specifically for darker toned people.

  15. Hi Irina,

    I’m wondering if you have looked at Devita Face Sunscreen spf 30. It goes on so nice and not white at all. It’s almost too good to be true. Ive been using it for a while since it’s rubs on so easily.

  16. Thank you Irina, Sunscreen is on my list of things to buy. Since I had the reaction the PPD in the organic hair dye my skin is very sensitive to the sun as well as many chemicals out there on the market. Being of Italian heritage this is new to me as I was able to tolerate the sun better than others. Last year I broke out in hives from the sun! I need to be very careful on what I use on my skin because I am now have cross sensitivity to many other chemicals that I never even thought twice about. Especially PABA. Your findings are much appreciated!!

  17. Hi Irina
    I often use Badger Sunscreen but I notice this year EWG has a tiny bar under the cancer category. Should I be concerned about that?
    Thanks

    1. I believe it is the best rating you can get. I have not seen any sunscreens with no concerns. We should always look at the alternatives to know if we are making the best decision. And in this case, the alternatives are way worse. 🙂 Does it help? ~Irina

  18. Hello Irina,
    Thank you for your response!
    These are the sunscreens that some of the other ladies in the previous comments were in question about. Maybe one of these sunscreens listed below meet your criteria and standards. I appreciate your time in researching these products to help so many people. I’m looking forward to your next edition of the Safer Face Sunscreen Guide! Take Care! Thank you.

    1) Suntegrity – “5 in 1” Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen – Tinted, Light (comes in different shades)

    2) EltaMD Facial Sunscreens

    3) Devita – Daily Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30

    4) Hynt Beauty – Sun Prep Broad Spectrum SPF 25

      1. Thank you Irina 🙏🏼 for your research and updating your Sunscreen Guide!! You are such a sweet lady for working on this so quickly. Right in time for this hot weather!

  19. Hello Irina 🙂 Summer is soon approaching and I’m going to be on the lookout for a healthier sunscreen for my face. Any updates on this post? Thank you very much for your time!

    1. Thank you for reminding, Jessica. I will do my best to get to it as soon as I can. Is there a specific face sunscreen you are looking into? ~Irina

  20. The Hana Organic Skincare Everyday Crème is heavenly!! I’m thrilled to have ordered it and will sure be trying their other products! Thank you for sharing it with us! 🙂

  21. I have been using and loving the Badger Sunscreens so far, but it does leave my skin oily and I am afraid it is making me break out, so I was wondering what your opinion is on Suntegrity Skincare 5 in 1 Tinted Moisturizing face sunscreen? You get it in 4 different shades… Here are the ingredients:

    Inactive Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Capric Caprylic Triglycerides (Coconut Oil Extract), Water (Aqua), 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) Extract, Punica Granatum (Organic Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide*, Ethylhexylglycerin*, Iron Oxide

    * Paraben-Free Preservative

    I know you are not a fan of Ethylhexylglycerin, but it is marked as a safer preservative choice on your preservative cheat sheet.

    Please let me know what you think Irina, I would really appreciate it.

    1. Martie:

      I will consider including this product when I update this post. This is so good that you are asking. I will be updating the preservative cheat sheet, too. Sorry, I wish I could just do it at once. 🙂 ~Irina

  22. Irina, thanks so much for this article. I learned a lot, and am happy to find out that my current sunscreen meets the standards! I use Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+ by De Vita, made with zinc oxide. It goes on very thin and nearly invisible. Highly recommended!

  23. So based on the information about toxicity to pets, for me personally, I would be comfortable wearing a zinc oxide-based sunscreen as long as I kept my bare parts away from my dog, who is about 70 lbs. If she gets in a lick or two, it probably won’t be harmful to her. Hopefully the smell won’t be appealing enough to her to encourage her to lick, and I will need to shower it off when I no longer need to be wearing it.

  24. Hi Irina,

    I found some good info at https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/zinc-poisoning-toxicity-in-pets. Surprisingly, quite a few items commonly present in households contain zinc, such as:
    “Skin creams (diaper rash cream, protective ointments, sunscreens, etc.), shampoos, deodorants, vitamins, and over-the-counter cold remedies and lozenges
    U.S. pennies (pennies minted after 1982 are 97.5% zinc)
    Metal nuts, bolts, board game pieces, zippers, toys, jewelry, staples, galvanized metal items, and other common metal items (some of these may contain large amounts of zinc)”

    The takeaway basically for how much zinc is toxic or poisonous to pets:
    “It all depends on the pet’s size, the form of zinc ingested, and how much was ingested. Certain forms of zinc are more readily absorbed by the body than others. For instance, ingestion of a zinc oxide cream may only cause stomach upset, whereas ingestion of even one penny can cause life-threatening toxicity.

    If your pet ingests a topical cream containing zinc, you may not need to worry unless it was ingested multiple times or in large amounts. However, certain types of topical medications (e.g., skin cancer or psoriasis treatments) can be very dangerous – or even deadly – to pets. Call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline if you’re ever unsure.”

  25. Yes, I didn’t understand why the vet thought other chemicals were OK to ingest. I didn’t know if you had heard of any of this before and maybe knew otherwise on the zinc oxide. I was totally unaware of pet sunscreens and was surprised she said human sunscreens were OK to use, given they usually tell you not to use human shampoos to bathe your dog with! I will have to research the zinc oxide toxicity claim for dogs and see what there is to it. I currently don’t use sunscreen on a regular basis; I stopped using them a few years ago when I heard that the chemicals actually increase the risk of sun cancer, and that sunscreens can interfere with the sunlight creating vitamin D for our bodies. I’m not sure about the validity of either of those claims , but decided to go without. I’m not someone who hangs out at the pool or beach, but I do like to work in the yard and have been known to set up a large patio umbrella over an area I’m weeding if it’s in the sun too much 🙂

  26. Hi Irina,
    I’ve actually been going without sunscreens because of the chemicals in them, so I was happy to see your research. I got the $5 sampler from AnnMarie’s for the SunLove. I was surprised at how greasy it felt, plus the tint was too light and still looked “ghostly.” Then I read in Southern Living’s Ask Dr. Molly (veterinarian) column that “Pet-specific brands of sunscreen are available, but many products made for humans are okay for pets–except ones containing zinc oxide, which is toxic if ingested.” My dog loves to lick any bare skin she can find, so now it seems I won’t be able to use zinc oxide-based sunscreens. Just wanted to make this known to others who have pets that lick their skin.

    1. Hi, Beverly: It is nice to hear from you again! How have you been? And I am sorry that you did not like Annmarie sunscreen. I don’t understand why Dr. Molly thinks that titanium oxide or even endocrine-disrupting chemicals are okay for dogs to ingest but not zinc oxide. Did she provide any reason or sources to support her statement? What brand are you using now? Thank you, again! And if you are reading this comment and any products I have listed in this post work for you, please let us know, too. I highly appreciate that! ~Irina

  27. Thank you, Irina. You have guided me well on my quest to live a less chemical life. After switching to mineral sunscreen, I have tried Badger’s tinted sunscreen that you recommend, Think Sport Everyday Face tinted sunscreen, and Elta MD SPF 41 tinted sunscreen. Badger, though I trust and regularly use their other products, I found to be fairly thick and difficult to blend in, but I like the feel and tint of the Think Sport and Elta MD. Based on ewg ratings, I prefer Thinksport and use it daily. Would you have any further insight either of these? Also, I have friends who are fans of the Arbonne sunscreen, but I’ve not been so sure. Any thoughts?

    1. Thank you, PJ, for sharing this helpful information. I will definitely take a look at these brands in more detail when I am updating this post next time. You are right about Arbonne. Thank you. ~Irina

  28. Hi Irina! Can you let me know your thoughts regarding the sun prep SPF 30 from hynt beauty ? Here are the ingredients:
    Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 9%

    Ingredients: Aloe Vera Gel (Purified Water & Aloe Vera Barbadensis), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil*, Krameria Triandra (Rhatany) Root Extract* , Hyaluronic Acid (plant derived), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract*, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran) Oil*, Laminaria Algae Extract*, Comfrey Root*, Dexapanthenol, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Extract*, Glycrrhiza Glabra (Licorice Root) Extract*, Sodium PCA, Squalane (Plant Derived), Allantoin (Plant Derived), Leucidal Liquid (Radish Root Natural Preservative), Tocopherol Linoleate/Oleate (Vitamin E), Wild Pansy Extract*, Pycnogenol (Pine Bark Extract), Riboflavin Root Extracts, Alpha Bisabolol (Chamomile)*, Plantain, Beta glucan

  29. It is very important to remember that the SPF listed is based upon using one ounce of sunscreen. Yes, one ounce it what we are supposed to be applying and I’m always shocked by how few people know this.

    1. Hi, Hannah: thank you for bringing this up. It is one ounce per exposed areas of the body, which might not very clear. I think a better way to say it is 2mg/cm2, which would be roughly 0.25 teaspoon per 0.155 squared inch. Yes, it is a lot of sunscreens. ~Irina

  30. Why did this not come out 2 days earlier?? 🙂 I just placed an order to try Juice Beauty CC Cream. It’s SPF 30, non-nano Zinc Oxide 20%. I was going to get the tinted moisturizer (BB cream), but decided to add the anti-aging. 🙂
    Will definitely try Hana (Badger is just so hard to blend) depending how Juice Beauty performs or if the ingredients aren’t the best. EWG has it as an overall 1, with all ingredients a 1 or 2 and only 2 with no data (polyglyceryl-10 laurate and petitgrain oil).

    Thanks again for all you do!

    Active Ingredient:
    Zinc Oxide 20%
    Inactive Ingredients:
    Aloe barbadensis (organic aloe juice)*,
    cocos nucifera (organic coconut oil)*,
    pyrus malus (organic apple juice)*,
    vitis vinifera (organic white grape juice)*,
    caprylic/capric triglyceride†,
    sorbitan stearate,
    ricinus communis (castor seed oil),
    polyglyceryl-10 laurate,
    magnesium sulfate,
    helianthus annuus (organic sunflower seed oil)*,
    simmondsia chinensis (organic jojoba seed oil)*,
    tocopherol (Vitamin E),
    magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (Vitamin C),
    sodium hyaluronate†,
    malus domestica (apple fruit cell culture extract),
    vitis vinifera (grape fruit cell extract),
    citrus medica limonum (lemon leaf cell extract),
    iron oxides,
    phenethyl alcohol,
    ethylhexylglycerin†,
    citrus reticulata (mandarin oil),
    citrus aurantium (petitgrain oil).
    † = plant derived
    * = Certified organic ingredient

    1. Stephanie, I actually forgot about Juice Beauty sunscreen. I used it for a few years, the non-tinted version and I kind of liked it. It also goes a bit white (just like any physical sunscreen would) but it did not irritate my reactive skin or make me break out. The ingredients are also pretty “clean”. The way I used to apply the non-tinted version was by mixing it w a bit of Dr. Hauschka bronzer (just a few drops). Then I would wait about 10 min and blot the residue and forget about it 🙂 I hope you like it. If I was to rate it, I would say that was my second favorite after my current choice Suntegrity.

    2. Hi, Stephanie: I think polyglyceryl-10 laurate and petitgrain oi are okay. I am not a huge fan of ethylhexylglycerin as it is linked with skin irritation in the Skin Deep. To be fair, I have used products with this ingredient and did not experience any problems. This product is also formulated with multiple goals in mind, which can be too hard to fulfill. For instance, there is sodium hyaluronate, which is an anti-aging igredient that, in my opinion, should be used as a separate product and consciously so you do not face its side effects. As far as I know, products with sodium hyaluronate should be applied on the damp skin. I personally still like Hana better, again just by looking at the ingredients. But again, it is just my opinion and I have not even tried Juice Beauty. Let me know how you like it, if you use it. Let me know what you think. ~Irina

  31. Great post. Our whole family uses ABC sunscreen from Arbonne ( toxic chemical free)and we do love how well it works on our fair skin… it does take some good rubbing in…but I don’t mind. I was actually wondering about other sunscreens that have ” bug repellent” in them. Are they just adding essential oils to help ward off pests and does it work?

  32. Hi, Irina, I am so glad you reviewed sunscreens. I’ve been looking for a good, physical sunscreen without titanium dioxide for a while. I liked the texture of SkinCeuticals but it contains titanium dioxide 🙁 I tried Marie Veronique and loved the concept and REALLY wanted to love it but it didn’t apply well. It dried off way too fast for an even application and it had a yellowish tint. The one that I found and currently use and like is called Suntegrity SPF 30 without parabens, nano-particles and other nasties.They have tinted versions and a non-tinted. The tinted version was too yellowish for my skin tone so I got the non-tinted. It is a face sunscreen and a primer. It still has a slight whitish cast right after the application but it goes away after 10 min. Check out that brand and see what you think about it.