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What Are The Best Natural Sunscreens?

October 23, 2014 · 64 Comments

What are the best natural sunscreens?

It’s a question that comes up again and again from my readers, so today I have a list for you of the best natural sunscreens in Australia.

I am sure you are aware that regular sunscreen is in fact, full of toxic ingredients that are detrimental to your health and the environment. I won’t bore you with the science but if you want to read up on the studies, two great resources are Dr Peter Dingle and Nicole Bijlsma who explain it really well to us non-scientists!

 

“Despite the fact that more people use sunscreen than ever before, the rate of skin cancer continues to rise. Research conducted by the Environmental Working Group in 2011, revealed that the great majority of sunscreens do not protect against both UVA and UVB rays and in addition, may contain chemicals that affect our hormones, damage the skin and in some cases, actually increase the rate of skin cancer.” Nicole Bijlsma

 

I have some qualms about using any sunscreen at all, considering that even the natural ones can contain nanoparticles. Then we have the new research telling us that sunscreen interferes with our Vitamin D absorption. It’s really quite confusing!

It’s probably a good idea to do your own research and read up a little more to decide what is best for your family. These are some things we do to balance the risk of sunburn with the beneficial effects of the sun.

 

♥ Avoid the sun in the hottest part of the day. Living in Queensland, it’s sunny most of the year round, so it’s really easy to get burnt quickly. If possible, we do our outside stuff before 10am or after 4pm.

 

♥ Cover up. Hats, t-shirts, longer-sleeve shirts, rash vests, sunglasses and umbrellas all come out if we have to go out in the hottest part of the day. Finding shade is also a good idea!

 

♥ Use coconut oil.  It has a natural SPF of about 7, so use it with care. According to Bruce Fife “one of the oldest uses for coconut oil is as a sun screen / suntan lotion. Islanders have been using coconut oil for this purpose for thousands of years. In the tropics where the climate is hot, islanders traditionally wore little clothing so that they could keep themselves cool. To protect themselves from the burning rays of the hot tropical sun they applied a thin layer of coconut oil over their entire body. This would protect them from sunburn, improve skin tone and help keep annoying insects away.” Carrot Seed oil also has an SPF factor, but it is a little smelly!

 

♥ Use natural sunscreens. Sometimes we just need extra protection for things like all day sports events and a good natural sunscreen provide that additional coverage.

 

This is the list of some of the best natural sunscreens in Australia.

Like skincare, sunscreen is a personal thing and depends on a lot on your skin type. So, try out a few until you get one that is just right for you!

Hello Sunshine

(our number one favourite)

 Wotnot 

eco-face-spf-30-sunscreen-65g

Eco All Natural Sunscreen Lotion

 UV Natural Sunscreen

Soleo-Organics-All-Natural-Sunscreen_grande
Soleo Organic Sunscreen

Moo Goo 

Simple as That

Simple As That 

Little_Innoscents_Natural_Sun_Lotion_100ml__40263.1409128913.1280.1280 Little Innoscents

 

So they are my top picks for natural sunscreen.

Is your favourite on my list?  What do you use? I would love to know!

 

You might also like to read:

The best natural insect repellents

The best natural perfumes

The best natural makeup brands

The best Australian natural skincare

The ultimate guide to natural deodorants

 

 

 

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Filed In: HEALTH / Tagged: cancer, Eco Tan, hello sunshine, Moo goo, natural sunscreen, Reflect Outdoor Balm, skincancer, Soleo, sun, sunblock, sunburn, sunscreen, UV, Vitamin D, Wot Not

Comments

  1. Amanda Ruck says

    October 23, 2014 at 3:12 pm

    I use UV Natural… always have and always will. A fantastic product from Baby Sunscreen through to their Sport sunscreen, I even use their Lip Sunscreen, its all great… love it love it

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 3:23 pm

      Good to know thanks Amanda! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kirri White says

    October 23, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    Just the ticket Sonia! I wasnt happy with my old brand (natural but too sticky) – so I just grabbed some UV Natural to try. Thank you x

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 3:37 pm

      Awesome – let me know how it goes 🙂

      Reply
  3. Nadia Ford says

    October 23, 2014 at 3:37 pm

    We use Wot Not on our selves and our dog! We have a pure white Staffy who burns easily and this is by far the best and easiest product to use on her.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 3:39 pm

      Oh I never thought of the doggy! Ours is very hairy so I guess he’s okay!

      Reply
  4. Jennifer says

    October 23, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    i use UV natural sunscreen. Having said that they have the general one and a baby one but I can’t work out the difference between the two

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 10:29 pm

      Might have more filler for sensitive baby skin?

      Reply
  5. Candice says

    October 23, 2014 at 3:57 pm

    Thanks for this post Sonia. I love the idea of using coconut oil, but am concerned that it may not provide adequate UVA/UVB protection. Did any of your research suggest that it was just as effective at protecting us from cancer as other natural sunscreens?

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 4:13 pm

      No sorry, I didn’t make that very clear did I? Let me fix it up – it only has an SPF of 4 so not so good in the middle of the day or for extended exposure. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Kat says

    October 23, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    I use Moo Goo Cover Up Buttercup. It’s SPF15 and has lots of lovely moisturising ingredients. I’ve tried the Wotnot but found that it was really sticky and hard to rub in. My daughter in particular has very sensitive skin and we find the Moo Goo products in general are great for her, and their sunscreen has been quite effective for all of us!

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 10:22 pm

      Thanks for the info Kat!

      Reply
  7. Gal says

    October 23, 2014 at 7:43 pm

    We use Moogoo and have been very happy with it. I researched into it and didn’t seem to have any nasties but I guess you never know!?!

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 10:22 pm

      Moo Goo is a great company – their product is a moisturizer with SPF so I didn’t include all of those plus the tinted moisturizers !

      Reply
      • deb says

        November 2, 2014 at 4:05 am

        Moo goo cover up buttercup is a dedicated sunscreen. Another vote for it here. Its great for dry skin too but not as greasy as wot not

        Reply
        • Cas Sgar says

          April 24, 2015 at 6:56 pm

          I second that about Moo Goo! They now have a 40 SPF. I tried WotNot and Soleo and too greasy for my skin. The whole Moo Goo range is wonderful and their helpful staff will gladly send you samples.

        • Natural New Age Mum says

          April 24, 2015 at 7:04 pm

          Thanks for the heads up Cas !

  8. Janneke says

    October 23, 2014 at 8:04 pm

    I’ve never really thought about sunscreen and just use the ‘regular’ stuff but I’m thinking about it now!

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 10:20 pm

      Yeah it’s not so good and there is the cumulative effect of using it often as well.

      Reply
  9. Rachael says

    October 23, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    I use Eco Tan Sunscreen on my face and body every day and absolutely love it.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 10:19 pm

      Thanks for the feedback Rachael!

      Reply
  10. Dani says

    October 23, 2014 at 9:14 pm

    Where are these available from?

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 23, 2014 at 10:19 pm

      HI Dani – if you click on the link you can buy them online. Sometimes you will find them at a health food store. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Emma says

    October 24, 2014 at 7:07 am

    moogoo has a natural sunscreen coming out in January or February

    Reply
  12. Carleigh says

    October 24, 2014 at 7:13 am

    Hi, I use Oasis Sun 🙂 i have used the wot not before but didn’t like it, it was very sticky and oily…and smelt like mayo.

    Reply
  13. Carly says

    October 24, 2014 at 7:58 am

    Neways Sunbrero

    Reply
  14. Kate Bowern says

    October 24, 2014 at 3:50 pm

    This is awesome Sonia, thank you. I love little innoscents. It’s thicker to what were originally use to but not enough to worry about. We also use coconut oil often. Coconut oil is my daily face oil.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 25, 2014 at 1:41 pm

      Coconut oil is so awesome!

      Reply
  15. Sallie says

    October 25, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    Does anyone use Invisible Zinc – we use it because I thought it was 100% natural and a barrier against rays.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 26, 2014 at 12:25 am

      I am not sure Sallie – I can’t find an ingredients list anywhere. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Linda dc says

    October 25, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    The sun is just too hot for me in summer so I just don’t hang out in it, unless it is early morning or early evening.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 26, 2014 at 12:23 am

      good plan LInda!

      Reply
  17. Paula says

    October 26, 2014 at 4:28 pm

    This is a great list, thank you. At the moment we’re using a sunscreen called ‘Badger’ which is all-natural, non-nano, bought from iherb. It’s pretty good but is a bit messy and I’d prefer something local so will have a look into some of these. The moo goo one sounds interesting 🙂

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 26, 2014 at 5:59 pm

      Yeah I heard on the grapevine that one was okay, but yes, not Aussie! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Kellie O'Brien says

    October 26, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    I’ve been using the Miessence skin care range and I love it. I’m yet to try their sunscreen, but intrigued now!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 26, 2014 at 6:19 pm

      Miessence is really good stuff!!

      Reply
  19. Amanda Corlis says

    October 29, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    I have tried the Miessence and it’s lovely, we’ve been using the Wotnot for a while now and it’s fantastic too. I was actually at a soccer break up and realised my back wasn’t shaded by the tent, so I applied the Wotnot as best I could. When I got home I looked in the mirror and I was burnt in one tiny patch that I missed! Looking forward to trying the Eco Tan.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 29, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      LOL – that’s how you know it works! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Sheryl says

    October 30, 2014 at 10:30 am

    Have you tried the Eco tan one? I purchased the UV Natural one and personally didn’t like it, too thick and tacky on my skin, am yet to find one that is not like this. I do know know that there is no difference in the UV Natural and baby one as I knew someone who worked for them and it’s the same cream that goes into both tubes!

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 30, 2014 at 1:09 pm

      Hi Sheryl, the Eco Tan one is a lot smoother. 🙂

      Reply
  21. My Vita says

    October 30, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    Timely post. I went swimming with my two boys the other day and wound up a little flushed. Will have to pull out my favourite Wotnot sunscreen. Thanks

    Reply
  22. Evie says

    November 7, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    The Moo Goo SPF 15 Moisturiser caused all our faces to go red – almost blister. It was an allergy to the actually cream rather than sun burn. I recommend contacting Moo Goo for a sample before you invest in it. They are a fantastic company and have sent samples for other products I needed in the past.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      November 7, 2014 at 2:15 pm

      Thanks for the heads up Evie x

      Reply
  23. Narelle Hetherington says

    January 9, 2015 at 9:59 am

    We take our sunscreen orally and here is a 150 page pdf on how it works.
    Astaxanthin as a sunscreen is just the beginning of the health benefits : ) http://www.purehealingfoods.com/docs/NaturalAstaxanthin_King_of_the_Carotenoids.pdf

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      January 12, 2015 at 2:13 pm

      Awesome!! Thanks Narelle! 🙂

      Reply
  24. TAnya says

    January 10, 2015 at 12:18 am

    I have used must natural sun screans and my fav at the moment is wotnot (less greasy than uv naturals ). I recently purchased the ecotan sunscreen and was very disappointed, it was pasty white on application, hard to rub in and stained my new sports bra badly. I tried my friends little innocents sunscreen and that was lovely and not greasy at all…will be buying this one once all my others have run out

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      January 12, 2015 at 2:13 pm

      Thanks for your feedback Tanya! It really does seem that different ones suit different people!! 🙂

      Reply
  25. hayley says

    January 21, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    hi, can anyone help with a natural ROLL ON sunscreen? my daughters school needs roll on sunscreen for each child and she has sensitive skin & eczema and most commercial/supermarket brands she flares up with. thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      January 24, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      If you have no luck you could always decant some into an old roll on deo container!

      Reply
    • Renee says

      January 6, 2018 at 1:06 am

      Did anyone find a roll on one – it’s on my nieces booklist ?

      Reply
      • Natural New Age Mum says

        January 9, 2018 at 11:22 am

        Hi Renee, I haven’t seen one. Only insect repellent. You could decant some into an old, washed deodorant bottle? x

        Reply
  26. Joanne says

    January 28, 2015 at 9:39 am

    What do you think of natural instinct natural sunscreen?
    I have just started using this as it’s much cheaper than moo goo.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      February 10, 2015 at 3:27 pm

      I have issues with this company. They were involved in a court case where they were giving misleading ingredient information (so I believe) so I am a little wary.

      Reply
  27. Genevieve says

    October 10, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    Hi! I’ve not tried all the brands around, but my favorite so far is Little innocents sunscreen! Not too sticky or oily, easy to apply.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      October 12, 2016 at 1:29 pm

      Great feedback thanks Genevieve

      Reply
  28. Bronwyn says

    January 15, 2017 at 4:45 pm

    Just be mindful of Little innocents. They have recently changed their formula and have removed phenoxyethanol but some of the old stock with it in it is still around ie in Chemist warehouse. Phenoxyethanol is a cheap preservative which isn’t nice. If you buy direct from their site I think it is no longer in it but best to check with them.

    Reply
  29. Jacinta says

    September 20, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    Great article! My kids have eczema but are also very fair.
    Wotnot sunscreen works best for us.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      September 21, 2017 at 12:52 am

      Thanks Jacinta, a lot of people like the Wotnot!

      Reply
  30. Anna says

    March 28, 2018 at 8:26 am

    Hi Sonia,
    Thank you so much for such great information. My kids apply sunscreen everyday before school and the previous one they were using, gave my kids watery eyes. So I have since tried Hello sunshine and they seem to like it and has a pleasant vanilla smell. No more irritated eyes.

    Reply
    • Natural New Age Mum says

      March 28, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      Oh wow Anna, that’s brilliant, I will pass on to Alisa and Danni. x

      Reply

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