Good morning! 

If you are experiencing weather like us where you are then I’m sure it’s already sweltering hot at 6am and the sun is showing no mercy. Since summer is in full swing and we are spending a lot more time outside in the backyard I thought I would answer a few questions I’ve been receiving on what sunscreen we are using and my thoughts on them compared to each other. 

I won’t lie, I was using harsh sunscreen until just a few years ago when I was introduced to Beautycounter by friends. I hadn’t done a great deal of research on the topic and didn’t realize why one may be better over the other. When I became pregnant with Zain, I started looking into sunscreens and beauty products a bit more and tried to overhaul a lot of what I had with cleaner alternatives. I shared a post on my favorite clean beauty recommendations here!

After trying tons of mineral based sunscreens meaning they have active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and are free of oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate and avobenzone we have found a few we love. As a general rule, mineral based sunscreens are thought to be well-tolerated by sensitive skin because their ingredients aren’t absorbed into the skin itself. Instead, the physical filters in mineral sunscreens sit on the surface of the skin and act as a screen that deflects UV radiation.

Currently, only mineral sunscreens (Zinc oxide and Titanium Dioxide) are deemed to be 100% safe for human and environmental use by the FDA. The FDA has acknowledged that not enough testing has been done on other types of sunscreens (chemical sunscreens) to determine whether they are “safe” or “unsafe.”

I would always encourage you to do your own research and a great place to start is the EWG’s Sunscreen Ingredient Chart. Then you can try out and use what you feel best fits your life. There is still a lot of testing to be done on sunscreen ingredients so what we use as a family will surely be ever evolving and these are just what I have found to fit our life currently.

So, here are our top 3 and what we use them for!

Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen

This is my go to if I am wearing makeup or going out! This is a cleaner chemical sunscreen meaning it is not considered as clean as mineral sunscreens but does not contain things like Oxybenzone, or any other added chemicals like parabens or synthetic fragrance like most mainstream sunscreens do. This clear sunscreen layers great underneath makeup and feels so light and non greasy. A tube lasts me such a long time and I wear sunscreen every single day. While I would love to find a purely mineral sunscreen that leaves my pores unclogged and doesn’t leave a white residue, I have not as of yet but am all ears to your suggestions!

Supergoop Play Sunscreen

This is an easy everyday option! I’ve never had issues with it clogging my pores or leaving buildup and works great as a spray for your body. It’s water-resistant for up to 80 minutes and contains a ton of antioxidants. Like the above this would be considered a cleaner chemical sunscreen!

Beautycounter Sunscreen Stick

This is what I have always kept in my diaper bag! It’s small, easy to carry and I don’t have to worry about it leaking or being a pain to put on while we are out. It’s definitely on the thicker side and I had to learn how to really apply it. I think the trick is to rub it on the skin a few times and then go over that with your hands to really move the sunscreen around. Zain loves putting this on himself and I just go over it after. 

Blue Lizard Sunscreen

This is our most recent purchase and I love it! I heard about it from a mom’s group I’m in and it goes on so easily! It’s a more affordable price point than the Supergoop and isn’t difficult to rub in at all. This is what I’ve currently been using on Zain during the day and am really happy with it!

As always, we reapply after a few hours of being outside and if he’s in and out of the pool even more often. I hope that helps and if you have any questions at all just let me know!