5 reasons to choose a natural sunscreen

natural sunscreens beauty

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I almost solely use natural sunscreens, also known as mineral sunscreens. A few years ago I made the decision to use more eco-friendly sun protection and every year the feeling of that just grows and grows. I think natural sunscreen is the best choice not only for the planet, but also for your skin. Why? Well, I’m gonna tell you five good reasons.

 

Mineral sunscreen reflects the sun’s rays away from the skin using white pigments.
UV-filters used in natural sunscreens:
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide

Chemical sunscreen absorbs the rays and turns them into thermal energy.
UV-filters used in chemical sunscreens:
Oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and avobenzone

why to use natural sunscreens

Why I choose to use natural sunscreen

1. Natural sunscreens offer widespread UV-protection and they’re more effective than chemical ones.
This is based solely on my own experience. I have found that natural sunscreens tend to stay on my skin really well and therefore they offer better protection. The slightly sticky consistency, which is typical to natural sunscreens, is actually a good thing. It makes it lock onto the skin well. This also means you need to wash the sunscreen off your skin really well, but oil based makeup removers work great for that.

2. Chemical sunscreens are linked to health hazards.
This is actually scary. Studies show that some of the ingredients used in chemical sunscreens absorb into the skin and bloodstream, causing hormonal disruption and other health hazards. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are not known to absorb into the skin. Therefore they’re much safer.

 

“In just two instances do we have enough safety information about ingredients to determine whether they’re safe and effective: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. For 12 other ingredients, the FDA has said there isn’t enough data to determine whether they’re safe.” Source: ewg.

 madara sun shimmering bb body spf 15

3. Natural sunscreens are more eco-friendly and don’t harm our marine life.
Multiple studies have shown that chemical sunscreens are harmful to our marine life, causing coral reed bleaching, damage and deformation. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have not been found as harmful. Their nanoparticles can be harmful, but certified organic products don’t contain them. So choosing a natural, eco-certified is my choice.  Source.

 

“Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are considered biodegradable and safe, although mineral substances are by definition, non-biodegradable. In addition, the nanoparticle form of zinc oxide is now known to be toxic and not necessarily ‘reef friendly’.” Source: ICRI study.

 

4. Natural sunscreens are suitable for all skin types.
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are not known for causing skin allergies or irritation – whereas the most of the chemicals used in chemical sunscreens are known to cause skin irritation. Source.

5. Natural sunscreens offer a beautiful glow to the skin.
The sunscreens that I use give me a great glow and I’m all about that. I actually use Madara’s SPF 30 sunscreen and their City CC SPF 15 all year round, because of the glowy skin finish. They act a my makeup products, which is why wearing them doesn’t feel like such a task. They simply make my skin look a tiny bit better.

 

Now, if you already bought a chemical sunscreen, don’t worry. You shouldn’t stop using sunscreen, since the harm from the sun exceeds the potential risk of the chemicals. Most important thing is to wear a sunscreen. But I think it’s good to know why a mineral sunscreen might be the safer choice.

My favorite natural sunscreens

My favorite natural sunscreen brands are Madara and Alga Maris. These are the products that I use. I know the SPF number doesn’t sound that high in some, but I didn’t burn myself at all last year when I was using Madara’s products! I really feel like the mineral UV filters work well for me. Also – I don’t really sunbathe and I try to protect myself with clothes.

The three things I recommend actually are: staying in shade, wearing protective clothes and sunscreen.

I take my tan from self tanners. Best ones are listed here!

ALGA MARIS SPF30 Sunscreen Spray
Super lightweight and lightweight consistency. I was actually pretty amazed when I tried this! Also love the sweet coconut scent.

*MADARA SUN20 Weightless Sun Milk SPF20 (US, CA)
*MADARA SUN20 Weightless Sun Milk SPF20 (UK)
Your basic colorless sunscreen for the body. It has a milky consistency, which is easy to blend to the skin and it doesn’t leave a white cast.

*MADARA SUN 15 Beach BB Shimmering Sunscreen SPF15 (US, CA)
*MADARA SUN 15 Beach BB Shimmering Sunscreen SPF15 (UK)
For special occasions I use this, since it contains some shimmer and tint to it. Perfect for my legs or decollete area!

*MADARA SPF 30 Plant Stem Cell Age-Defying Sunscreen For face (US, CA)
*MADARA SPF 30 Plant Stem Cell Age-Defying Sunscreen For Face (UK)
My go-to face sunscreen. This is also what I wear if I’m staying in the sun for a longer period of time. It has a tiny amount of tint to it, which is genius, because it doesn’t leave a white cast. I love the subtle glow that this product gives me!

*Madara City CC SPF 15 (US, CA)
*Madara City CC SPF 15(UK)
This has been my go-to base product for forever and it’s especially good for fall/winter/spring, since the SPF is lower. It evens out my skintone and leaves a natural glow to my skin. I adore this!

I have full reviews on the Madara products here!

What is your opinion on this whole sunscreen thing? I know there needs to be more studies, but it doesn’t look promising for chemical UV-filters. Do you wear chemical sunscreens or do you opt for natural ones?

BB-cream, foundation & sunscreen in one – Mizon Snail Repair BB

Mizon snail repair bb cream review

Wouldn’t it be great if your foundation was your sunscreen?

I love to wear a tinted sunscreen as my base in the summer, but there are occasions where I want more coverage. You can always just apply your makeup on top of your sunscreen, but personally, that can feel a bit heavy. So if there was a foundation that provided me with a great SPF, I’m game.

And that’s the case in this product. I’m talking about a BB-cream that actually does it both – it protects my skin from the sun with a physical sunscreen and acts as a medium to full coverage foundation at the same time. I know foundations tend to have SPF in them, but it’s not usually that trustworthy.

However, this feels more like a sunscreen, that just happens to give me coverage at the same time. It’s the perfect alternative to summer parties, where I want to have my full face of makeup on and still be sun-protected. It’s the full-coverage foundation version of the physical sunscreens I talked about on this post.

mizon snail repair bb

If you don’t know the difference between a physical and a chemical sunscreen, check out this post. And if you’re looking for less coverage, check out my earlier post about my favorite natural sunscreens.

 

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foundation that has good spf sunscreen in it

Mizon Snail Repair Blemish Balm review

As the name suggests, this BB cream contains snail extract. There’s actually 40% of it here. Snail extract is awesome, because it’s regenerating, soothing and moisturizing. It’s one of those ingredients that sounds suspicious, but is actually awesome. In my experience snail extract feels extremely silky and smooth. And no, it’s not gross or smelly. More about snail extract in this post.

As someone who has struggled with acne before, I also appreciate the anti-blemish properties of this BB cream.

Mizon Snail Repair Blemish Balm BB review

This BB-cream is medium to full coverage and it leaves a satin finish. If you like a glow, you can skip powder. But for the best longevity, I would apply a light layer of powder on top of this.

The consistency in this foundation is quite thick. That’s typical for a physical sunscreen and that’s what gets you covered. For best results, I apply this with my fingers. It dries down quite quickly, so you need to be quick in your application. But because this BB cream has pigment in it and has a creamy texture, it’s easy to see where you applied it and therefore get an even, reliable sun protection.

It’s also very long-lasting. It kind of sets on the face and doesn’t move when it’s on. Hence, it’s perfect for summer parties, like weddings.

But as always – if you’re staying in the sun for long periods of time, and you’re sweating off your makeup – you need to reapply, just like with any sunscreen. Physical sunscreens tend to stay well on my skin though.

before after mizon snail repair bb cream sand beige
Before & After of Mizon Snail Repair BB Cream in the shade Sand Beige.
Mizon Snail Repair BB Cream Rose Beige and Sand Beige Swatches
Mizon Snail Repair BB Cream #1 Rose Beige and #2 Sand Beige Swatches

As for the shades, the 1# Rose Beige has a red undertone and is quite light.
The #2 Sand Beige has a yellow undertone and is slightly darker in shade. This is my shade.

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*Mizon Snail Repair Blemish Balm $13,89

Mizon Watermax Moisture BB Cream

Mizon Watermax Moisture BB Cream

I also got the Mizon Watermax Moisture BB Cream and I wanted to include it in this post, because it’s more suited for dry or normal skin. It’s a moisturizing BB Cream that is much lighter in consistency compared to the Snail Repair Cream.

The shade in this is quite light and rosy (close to the Rose Beige shade of that other BB cream), which is why I haven’t been able to wear it. I did however test the consistency on my face just to see how it compares to the snail repair BB cream. The texture is very light and it feels like a light gel that just glides on the skin. I like the consistency. It still has good coverage, but it’s not as full coverage as the snail repair cream.

 

I have also reviewed Missha’s BB Cream that has SPF 42 here. That is also a good option. Korean BB-creams are awesome!

 

 

What’s your go to BB cream?

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