The best facial sunscreens are the ones that are made with minerals, not chemicals. Mineral sunscreens are made with ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. They are also know as “physical sunscreens” because they create a physical barrier over your skin that reflects UV light. Zinc oxide is a very healing mineral, used for other purposes too, like chapped lips, diaper rash and more. It’s really helped soothe and heal my acne breakouts.
Chemical sunscreens are made with toxic ingredients like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxatecan. They function much differently than physical sunscreen, by allowing the UV light to penetrate the skin. They create a chemical reaction that converts the UV light to heat. These chemical sunscreens not only trigger irritation for people with sensitive skin, but they can also disrupt your hormones, make dark spots more visible and even worse- actually cause cancer.
As much as we all love a summer day in the sun, it’s important to shade yourself and wear SPF to avoid premature aging and irreversible sun damage. That’s why I’ve put together a list of the best facial sunscreens I’ve tried and loved- they’re cruelty free and reef safe too!
BANISH
The Defender Sunscreen SPF 50
This super lightweight sunscreen is peptide rich and softly blurs your complexion. It’s great for people with sensitive, acne prone skin and doesn’t cause breakouts or clog your pores.
This sunscreen is a wonderful daily moisturizer with a base of aloe vera and skin-healthy oils like jojoba and avocado oil. It’s a really great primer and works well under or on top of makeup. The Defender minimizes the appearance of pores and helps to improve your skin texture too.
It’s water resistant for up to 80 minutes and won’t sting your your eyes. It’s also fragrance free, cruelty free and benzone free.
Shop this and their full line of acne fighting skincare at Banish.com
Use Code: ERINEEMILLER for $5 off $50+
be sure to follow them on instagram too @banishacnescars
SOLARA SUNCARE
Go! Mineral Defense SPORT Antioxidant Face Sunscreen, SPF 50
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Go! Vacation Glow Illuminating Primer, SPF 30 Bronzing Skin Tint
The Go! Mineral Defense Sport SPF 50 is ideal for outdoor activities and all of your summer adventures. The formula is infused with Acerola Cherry that visibly brightens your complexion. It has free-radical fighting antioxidants, that help support skin barrier defense too.
I like to wear this under my makeup, even on non-active days for the most sun protection possible. It’s perfect for all skin types, even those with sensitive skin. Its unscented and has a lovely, dewy finish that doesn’t feel heavy or greasy. This sunscreen is water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
The Go! Vacation Glow Illuminating Primer will instantly give you a subtle, effortless, lit-from-within glow while also protecting you from the sun with SPF 30. This is great for everyday wear or a makeup-free day at the pool or beach. It works wonders under your makeup as a primer or on top of makeup as a glowy highlighter. This super lightweight, SPF skin tint compliments all skin tones, from fair to deep with a bronzy and golden sun kissed finish.
All Solara Suncare products are made with consciously sourced active ingredients that are vegan, cruelty free and also reef safe.
Shop these products and all their amazing sun protection at SolaraSuncare.com
and be sure to follow them on instagram @solarasuncare
BADGER
Adventure Sport Mineral Sunscreen Tin SPF 50
First of all, this sunscreen is not specifically made for your face. However, I’ve used it several times on my body and face without any issues. I like how much protection it offers for outdoor activities because of its intense coverage.
This sunscreen offers serious sun protection for the most serious adventures. It’s considered an extreme mineral sunscreen because it contains the highest percentage of zinc oxide allowed by the FDA. The best part is, its made with just 4 simple ingredients: Uncoated Zinc Oxide, Sunflower seed oil, Beeswax and Sunflower Vitamin E. While the beeswax doesn’t make it vegan, it is cruelty free, paraben free, waterless is one of the first sunscreen formulas to achieve a reef-friendly Protect Land + Sea Certification.
Badger is solar powdered and is also a Certified B Corp.
Check out this and all their other natural protection at BadgerBalm.com
You can also find their products on AMAZON
and be sure to follow them on instagram @badgerbalm
These are THE best facial sunscreens I’ve found in my clean skincare journey and I can’t wait to hear about your experience with them!
If you like clean beauty, you’ll love Clover Sustainable and Cruelty Free Cosmetics too!
Until next time…
Erin-Elizabeth
xoxo
