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Every year, I search for the perfect clean, eco-friendly and as natural as possible sunscreen. I’ve found some good ones and a couple of great ones, so here is my run down of the best clean or natural sunscreens that I’ve tried and tested over the last few years, all available in the UK.
The Best Eco-Friendly, Clean or Natural Sunscreens for Face
For most people, I think finding a great facial suncream is the biggest challenge: who wants a shiny, greasy, and/or ghostly face? No thanks! I reviewed six natural and organic facial sunscreens a couple of year back and you can check them out here. One of them has made it to this review too.
REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 Review
This Natural Sunscreen is Perfect For: All skin tones and combination to oily skin types.
Clean Screen is my go-to clean facial sunscreen and I used it most days last summer when I first reviewed it, and am now on my second tube. This mineral sunscreen blends in well, though it needs a bit more working in around the eyebrows. It gives a fantastic matte finish so is ideal under make-up, and doesn’t feel too heavy. It has broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, blue light protection, non-nano technology, is made with naturally derived ingredients and is vegan.
The bright yellow squeezy tube is made of 50% recycled plastic, which is apparently the maximum they can while protecting the formula. The cap is 100% recycled plastic. Plus being a one-type plastic, it’s designed to be recycled again after use, as is the cardboard carton.
“Our silicone-free mineral face sunscreen is good for skin and the cleanest possible to the planet with 22% non-nano naturally derived Zinc Oxide. Meet your no-shine, sensitive-skin-friendly sun protection for daily use. The Zinc Oxide sits gently on the skins surface as a barrier against sun damage, and will not clog pores, cause allergies or irritate sensitive skin.”
REN CLEAN SKINCARE
Here is an un-retouched photo I took of myself wearing this clean sunscreen beneath my make-up at the end of the day. As you can see there is a little shine breakthrough but it’s really minimal.
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: non-nano Zinc Oxide
COLOUR: white
EASY TO RUB IN? yes
GREASY? no
GOOD MAKE UP BASE? yes, it’s the perfect make-up base
SPF: 30
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: quite an unusual smell, which is hard to identify
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? The smell may not be to your taste, however it quickly fades.
COST: £33 for 50ml
Madara Plant Stem Cell Age Defying Sunscreen SPF30 Review
This Natural Sunscreen is Perfect For: Normal to dry skin types.
I was worried this tinted natural, organic and clean facial sunscreen would be way too dark for my skin, but actually it blends in well. It is a touch dark, but my skin is very fair. I find this suncream a little heavy and greasy for my combination skin, but think it would be great for dryer skin types. It does sink in well and feel lovely and moisturising but on the heavier side compared to the REN Clean Screen above. As you see below, it smoothes in beautifully, and the tinted formula means there’s no ghostly look.
“This breakthrough mineral-based natural face sunscreen ensures broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection with an invisible, flawless finish and SPF30. It works to prevent all types of sun damage, including dryness, wrinkles, pigmentation, dark spots and loss of volume.”
MADARA
Here is an old un-retouched photo I took of myself wearing this clean sunscreen beneath my make-up after 6 hours of wear. As you can see, my skin looks pretty matte and even.
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: non-nano Zinc Oxide
COLOUR: warm-toned medium brown, which blends in well
EASY TO RUB IN? yes
GREASY? slightly
GOOD MAKE UP BASE? yes but possibly not for very oily skin, better for dry skin
SPF: 30
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: light, pleasant scent
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? I think it may be too rich for oily skin types and it’s a bit dark for me in the winter.
COST: £25.75 for 40ml
Hurraw Sun Protection Balm SPF15 Review
It’s important to keep lips protected from the sun too, so I like to use this Hurraw Sun Protection Balm SPF15 lip balm with non-nano, reef-safe sun protection. It feels a bit thicker than a normal lip balm, but is nice and smooth, non-sticky and has a slight orange and vanilla flavour.
“Hurraw use non nano Zinc Oxide in the Sun Balm. Zinc Oxide is the only all natural, broad spectrum (blocks both UVA and UVB) sun screen available today. Zinc Oxide is a mineral. It protects your lips by sitting on top of them and thus, provides a physical barrier against UVA and UVB rays. It actually deflects the rays away from the skin to prevent any harm. For adequate protection it must be applied often.”
Hurraw
COST: £4.99
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The Best Eco-Friendly, Clean and Natural Sunscreens for Body
Let’s move on to the best clean and eco-friendly suncreams for the body now and these can be used on the face too, but are heavier so more on the shiny side. I’m reviewing them in order of SPF, highest first.
Jason Family Sunscreen SPF45 Review
I thought I’d found the perfect natural sunscreen when I first tried Jason Family Sunscreen. It’s a nice high SPF of 45, smells gorgeous, rubs in really well and is at the more affordable end of the spectrum when it comes to natural sunscreens. It’s also reef-safe. But then Ava and Thea started to complain it was stinging their eyes. Such a shame as other than this, it’s brilliant. I’m going to try the Kids version next, to see if it’s better on the tear-free front. I’ll happily keep using this one, and be more careful around the eyes.
“The non-greasy, tear-free, water-resistant formula provides the broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection necessary for the whole family. Family Natural Sunblock SPF 45 helps protect skin from sun burn and reduces harmful free radical damage caused by the sun’s ultra-violet rays and is enriched with Vitamin E, Shea Butter and antioxidant Green tea extract to nurture and moisturize the skin.”
Jason
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: non-nano Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Octyl Salicylate
COLOUR: white
EASY TO RUB IN? yes
GREASY? no
SPF: 45
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: gorgeous holiday scent
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? It did make the girls’ eyes sting despite claiming to be tear-free
COST: £12.99 for 113g
Ayan SPF35 Mineral Sunscreen Review
This SPF35 mineral sunscreen from Ayan smells nice, and didn’t sting my kids’ eyes. However this natural suncream is quite hard to rub in and leaves skin looking on the shiny, or even greasy side and made the kids look ghostly for quite some time until it sank in. It was better when I didn’t apply so much, but then the SPF value would have been reduced.
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: non-nano Zinc Oxide
COLOUR: white
EASY TO RUB IN? not really
GREASY? yes
SPF: 35
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: light, pleasant scent
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? It’s quite greasy and leaves skin looking ghostly. It looks better when it’s sunk in.
COST: £21.90 for 100ml
Madara Organic Skincare SUN30 Plant Stem Cell Antioxidant Sunscreen Review
This natural, organic sunscreen from Madara is suitable for body and face and is a similar texture to the facial one above. It smells lovely but isn’t the easiest to rub in – like a rich body lotion, it leaves a bit of a white residue on the skin, which does sinks in after a short while. It’s moisturising, but not too greasy.
“Certified natural high performance sunscreen. The patent pending stem cells from Northern Dragonhead deliver a hyper dose of potent antioxidants to fight the No.1 enemy of youthful skin – free radicals. Raspberry seed oil & Vitamin E team up for SPF-boosting and restoring power, while the silky glide on texture, translucent finish and zesty fragrance make skin protection an enjoyable experience.”
Madara
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: non-nano Zinc Oxide
COLOUR: white
EASY TO RUB IN? it takes a little effort
GREASY? moisturising rather than greasy
SPF: 30
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: light, pleasant scent
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? It’s not the easiest to rub in.
COST: £16.95 for 100ml
Green People Scent Free Sun Lotion SPF30 Review
This natural sunscreen from Green People is 84% organic with a Nano version of Titanium Dioxide sun filter. It’s beige-tinted , so it doesn’t have such a white caste as other mineral sunscreens often do. It is quite hard to run in especially on dry skin, and pills on arm hair. I like the eco-friendly sugar cane recyclable tube and Green People have fantastic ethics.
“Effective broad-spectrum UVA & UVB protection. Suitable for sensitive skin and those prone to prickly heat. Moisture retaining for a longer lasting tan. Water repellent but non pore-clogging, allows your skin to breathe. Rich in natural antioxidants to protect delicate skin. Suitable for children who may be prone to eczema or psoriasis”
Green People
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: nano Titanium Dioxide
COLOUR: beige
EASY TO RUB IN? it takes some effort and gets caught on arm hair and pills slightly
GREASY? moisturising without being greasy
SPF: 30
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: light, pleasant scent
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? It’s tricky to rub in and contains nano particles
COST: £25.50 for 200ml
Shade Organic All-Natural Sunscreen SPF25 Review
Shade sunscreen is 100% natural, and has just four ingredients: shea butter, coconut oil, zinc oxide and beeswax. It’s also plastic-free, great value, and lasts for ages. The girls like it and like putting it on themselves, and I got a couple of trial sizes for their school bags. As it’s a more solid texture, it takes more rubbing in, but for some reason that doesn’t bother my kids. It feels a bit heavy on the skin for my taste.
“72% organic, unrefined and non-Nano, Shade™ is perfect for sensitive skin. One of the best features of Shade™ is what we have left out of the formula – there are no toxic chemicals, no unnecessary fragrances, no liquid polymers or microplastics. Just four natural ingredients, and nothing else.”
Shade
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: non-nano Zinc Oxide
COLOUR: white
EASY TO RUB IN? not very easy, as it’s more of a solid texture and needs working in to the skin
GREASY? a bit, I wouldn’t use it it on my face, but fine for the body
SPF: 25
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: coconutty shea butter scent
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? It takes a while to rub into the skin, however once it’s on, you know it’s staying on! Feels quite heavy on the skin.
COST: £10 for 100ml
Madara Organic Skincare SUN20 Weightless Sun Milk Sunscreen Review
This is the third Madara natural sunscreen in my round up and it’s the lightest of them all and would be fine to use on the face too. It feels like a moisturing, non-greasy body lotion and rubs in easily, leaving a pleasant scent. It’s a good daily option but fairly low protection at SPF20.
“Light as air, this weightless sun protection milk delivers safe and effective, yet invisible and insensible broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection for body, hands and face, holding back sunburn, dark spots and photoageing. Based on the juicy aloe vera, this pure mineral milk spreads effortlessly and absorbs instantly, working from the moment of application. Enhanced with raspberry seed oil, pampers the skin for a soothed and comforted feel.”
Madara
TYPE OF SUNSCREEN: non-nano Zinc Oxide
COLOUR: white
EASY TO RUB IN? yes, similar to a body lotion
GREASY? no
SPF: 20
BROAD SPECTRUM UVA/UVB? yes
FRAGRANCE: light, pleasant scent
REEF-SAFE? yes
ANY DOWNSIDES? Lower protection. Not sure how easy the pump will be to recycle.
COST: £20.25 for £150ml
So Which Natural or Clean Sunscreens Will I Buy Again?
My favourite clean facial sunscreen is REN Clean Screen as it’s a pleasure to use and gives a nice level of protection. For body, I like the Jason Family Sunscreen as it’s easy to use and has a high SPF, but I will try the Kids version next in the hope that it doesn’t sting the kids’ eyes. Although I do like all of the Madara clean sunscreens, and generally love their products, I’d rather have one tube we can all use, and prefer a higher level of SPF for my kids.
I hope you found my round up of 9 of the best natural, clean sunscreens for face and body useful, why not Pin it for later?
