I suffered from dry, sun-sensitive, itchy, ‘problem’ skin for decades from my teenage years into my late 30s. Then, I developed an autoimmune inflammatory arthritis which involved me needing to take medications with known side effects on the skin. I was advised to use sunblock every day to protect my skin and, whether these following consequences were medication side effects or not will never be known, but I also developed hyperpigmentation (darker patches) and maddening itchiness on my legs at nighttime. When I turned to nutritional therapy to help me better manage the symptoms of my autoimmune condition, not only did I find that my inflammatory symptoms improved so much that I was able to eventually taper off all my medication, but actually other things improved radically too. I found that my IBS was no longer a problem, my annual hayfever symptoms reduced drastically and, now, in my late 40s, my skin feels the healthiest it has ever been: no longer dry, no longer itchy, more resilient in the sun and more even skin tone.
Addressing nutrient deficiencies in your diet is the first step in getting these kinds of results, but what also makes a huge difference is the products you use on your skin. Even if you don’t have ‘sensitive’ skin, why use products with multiple synthetic ingredients which may be harmful not only to your health but to the environment too? In my Hayes Pantry blog, I am going to tell you what I use and why and, don’t worry, I am no preacher of perfection! I’m not aiming for zero tolerance of unpronounceable ingredients or plastic packaging, however, I’ve always felt that we can all aim to improve on where we are now. In fact, that’s what most of us are trying to do with our lives anyway, right? The important factor for me in adopting a new product is that it must be effective (otherwise what’s the point?) and it must be fairly easy to transition into my routine, i.e. I will tolerate some inconvenience if the overall benefits seem worth the hassle.
Before we talk sunscreen, remember that whatever sunscreen you use, you still need to apply it correctly, reapply when needed, avoid prolonged sun exposure especially during the hottest parts of the day and wear protective clothing as necessary (long sleeves, hat etc). You need to strike the right balance for you and your loved ones in getting your Vitamin D and enjoying being in the sunshine, but avoiding the risks that can come with getting sunburnt.
Now, my top sunscreen recommendations!
I have tried many different sunscreens over the years as my skin has always been sensitive to the sun. My top go-to brand for sunscreen is Moogoo’s Natural Sunscreen SPF40. I have been using Moogoo products for myself and my kids for years now and they have transformed the health of my skin. I will profile the other Moogoo products I use in another article, but in the meantime you can read about the Moogoo story here. Their ingredient philosophy from day one has always been to where possible choose ingredients that are so safe they could be eaten – obviously you wouldn’t want to eat them, but you get the idea!
Their Natural Sunscreen SPF40 is for all ages and is zinc oxide based so it protects from the sun by creating a barrier on your skin that reflects UV light, it is not absorbed into your skin like chemical sunscreens. Zinc oxide based sunscreens do tend to be a heavier texture so you need to rub them in a bit more. However, this Moogoo sunscreen has a moisturising base and goes onto the skin quite well, so this has not been a big deal for me or my boys to handle. More importantly, we have found it to be very effective sun protection for us.
The other perceived downside to a zinc oxide based sunscreen is that you can end up looking a bit shiny, especially on the face! This doesn’t bother me so much because I have always preferred to have sun protection on my face reduce dryness and hyperpigmentation. And I can’t wear foundation/makeup in the heat anyway as my face gets sweaty and ends up looking shiny whatever I do. However, Moogoo now do a Natural Tinted SPF40 Face Cream which I love. It is still a touch ‘glowy’, but with a smoother, more foundation-like finish so I have taken to using that for my face and the Natural Sunscreen SPF30 for the rest of my body. My kids use the latter all over!
You can buy the Moogoo Natural Sunscreen SPF40 here and the Natural Tinted SPF40 here.
Mádara is a Latvian organic skincare brand that states that all of its products are 100% plant based and non-artificial. They are free from parabens, mineral oils, silicones, chemical UV filters, PEGs (petroleum derived compounds) and genetically modified organisms, artificial and animal-derived colourants, nano materials and synthetic fragrances. I have tried a few different Mádara products and have a few favourites which I will cover in an another article, however, the one I want to mention here is the Antioxidant Sunscreen SPF 30 for body. It has a beautiful texture which goes onto your skin easily and gives you a gorgeous summer shimmer finish. I only use this on my body as it did not seem to suit the skin on my face, but I found it gave me great sun protection on the rest of me. It has a lovely fragrance and with its antioxidant formula, it’s not just sun protecting, it’s also helping to improve the skin.
Despite the luxury look and feel of this sunscreen and the added skin beneficial plant based ingredients, it is not a luxury price which is obviously very welcome. It just goes to show that it is possible to create covetable products which are natural, sustainable and effective. You can buy the Mádara Antioxidant Sunscreen SPF 30 for body here.
I recently discovered Shade™ All-Natural Sunscreen SPF25 which – get this – has only 4 ingredients! As it says on the website “[t]here are no toxic chemicals, no unnecessary fragrances, no liquid polymers or microplastics that could damage your health or the environment”. And all 4 ingredients are natural, moisturising and sun-resistant: Unrefined Organic Shea Butter, Virgin Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil, Non-Nano Zinc Oxide (the active and 100% Pure Unrefined Natural Beeswax. I have only applied this sunscreen a couple of times, however, I can tell you already that this sunscreen is super smooth to apply and, as a welcome bonus, comes in a convenient, completely plastic-free, metal tin. Despite having so few ingredients, simple packaging and a modest price, it actually looks and feels like a luxury product.
You can find the Shade™ All-Natural Sunscreen SPF25 here. I also highly recommend reading the Founder’s Sun Blog for all the information on the product and general advice on sun safety.
The Shade™ All-Natural Sunscreen SPF25 is a game changer – a handful of recognisable ingredients (so you could potentially make this yourself at home), non-toxic on the environment when washed off and plastic free packaging – what’s not to like?
So, there you have my recommendations for sunscreens I use myself that offer it all: effective sun protection, natural ingredients, safe on your skin and safe for the environment and sustainable packaging. Which one will you try?