Most recently updated 1/12/21

We’ll just say it: Sunscreen is not cool. It’s the cauliflower of the skincare world; many wear SPF because they should, not because they want to — if they use it at all. But these are actually the golden days for sunscreen. It’s never been more luxurious to use, with tinted versions that blend into all skin tones and a lightweight, non-greasy feel.

Sunscreen? Elegant? It’s true.

That’s a far cry from past iterations, which were seen as greasy, chalky, sticky, or all of the above. And these days, sunscreen can be fun! Take, for instance, the recent study that found that sunscreen alone can not only prevent but actually reverse skin damage, including signs of aging like wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and laxity. A little louder for those in the back: Sunscreen reverses signs of aging. That doesn’t even take the all-important skin cancer protection into consideration.

The one outstanding sticking point with sunscreen? It can be filled with junk. At NakedPoppy, when it comes to products that we’re putting in and on our bodies with any regularity, we think it’s essential to consider what’s in it, who makes it, and how it can affect both our health and the environment.

This has been a hot topic of late, with Key West, Florida, the state of Hawaii, and the Pacific island nation of Palau banning chemical sunscreens due evidence that ingredients are destroying coral reefs. The FDA has also recently called for more testing on the effects of chemical sunscreens on our bodies following evidence that more was being absorbed into our bloodstream than had previously been believed. It’s a moment on the brink for the sunscreen industry at large, and a major indicator that making and using clean sunscreen — physical sunscreen, or products whose active ingredients are mineral-based, versus using other types of chemicals — should be a priority for brands and consumers alike.

The one point that’s not up for debate? That wearing sunscreen, and protecting ourselves from UV rays every day, is essential. Here, we dive into the world of sunscreen to give you the sun protection know-how you need.

Your clean sunscreen cheat sheet:

  • Wear sunscreen every day. It’s the easiest way to protect your skin from sun damage, early aging, and skin cancer, the most common cancer in the U.S.
  • Make this easy by integrating sunscreen into your daily skincare routine. Use a moisturizer and-or a tinted primer with SPF.
  • Seek out non nano-particle mineral-based sunscreens, whose primary active ingredient is zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide. These are the only two active ingredients on the market today that, per the FDA, are “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE).
  • Chemical sunscreens are increasingly banned in areas with coral reefs due to studies showing harmful bleaching (effectively, killing) effects of many chemical ingredients on coral reefs.

Why exactly do we need to wear sunscreen everyday?

Sunscreen isn’t just for summertime. Rather, you should be wearing it all day, every day, to protect yourself from sun damage, premature aging, and, most importantly, skin cancer. Applying it should be as essential to your everyday routine as brushing your teeth. 

“There’s a cascade of events that happen with your skin when you expose it to UV light,” says Tim McCraw, PhD, the CEO and Founder of Skin Science Advisors. “UV can cause lipid damage, and DNA damage.” That DNA damage is especially insidious. If it’s not repaired properly, it can lead to cancer. “What you want to do is minimize the amount of UV light that your skin is exposed to,” he says.

This exposure isn’t just from lying out on sunny beach days, either. “You can get sun damage when it’s cloudy, [and] you can get sun damage in your car while you’re driving,” says Suntegrity Skincare founder Tricia Trimble.

Can sunscreen help with cancer prevention?

The potential for cancer prevention is a huge deal, as skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. — particularly with products SPF 30 and up. While this is a major motivator, it’s not the biggest selling point for most people. “Most people don’t necessarily think that they’re going to be the one in five to get skin cancer — we motivate people to wear sunscreen from the anti-aging aspect,” Trimble says. “Sun damage ages your skin more than anything.”

Greater understanding of this has caused sunscreen to become more prevalent in other products, too, making it easier to use products with SPF everyday — and ideally, several times a day. “We’re starting to see a lot of sunscreens combined with primers, baby creams, and [other] parts of the skincare regimen,” McCraw says. “Generally, those products are SPF 15 or so.” As the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a minimum of SPF 30, you should layer on a sunscreen if your hybrid makeup-sunscreen product offers any less than that.

What makes sunscreen “clean?”

Once we’ve gotten into the habit of wearing sunscreen everyday, knowing what’s in it becomes more and more important. The short version: sunscreen is either mineral or chemically-based.

“The ingredient that shields your skin from the sun is the actual active ingredient,” McCraw explains. “Mineral sunscreens are zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Chemical sunscreens are absorbing UV photons, while mineral sunscreens reflect UV photons. Since those ingredients have a major role to play, they need to be in high concentration.”

Suntegrity’s active ingredient is zinc oxide, and, in line with McCraw’s assessment, uses a high percentage of it. “Zinc oxide has been used in diaper rash cream for years; it has tons of therapeutic benefits,” Trimble says. “It helps with acne and is great for rosacea.”

Why aren’t sunscreen companies going all in on zinc oxide?

Until recently, zinc oxide sunscreens that are delightful to use just didn’t exist.

In addition to feeling greasy and not smelling good, mineral sunscreens have a reputation for going on white… and staying that way (think of a stereotypical, white-nosed lifeguard). It can be harder to rub in, and can feel less convenient than a chemical spray-on.

But the clean sunscreen industry has made major advancements.

Tinted mineral sunscreen formulas, such as Unsun Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen, allow for easier blending, particularly those in darker skin tones. The mineral ingredients have also improved over the years. “Since we launched in 2010, so many new ingredients have come out,” Trimble says. They’re more water-resistant than first-generation versions and offer a more lightweight feel, making the formula that much more elegant and powerful.

Why does seeking out clean sunscreen matter?

With the availability of new ingredients and increasing presence in make-up products, clean sunscreen is easier to find than ever. But big brands making chemical products still dominate the market, and, in general, are less expensive. So, why is it worth avoiding these widely available products?

In large part, that’s because there’s a great deal of unknown information about how chemical sunscreen affects our bodies. What we do know is that it can absorb into our bloodstream in greater quantities than was previously understood. 

“Up to this point, it’s been assumed that sunscreens either don’t enter the circulation, or do so in such small quantities that testing won’t be required,” McCraw says. “The FDA has said that will require additional testing on these. They’re not saying that these sunscreens are safe or unsafe, but that additional testing is needed.”

Specifically, the FDA says that of 16 active ingredients that are currently being marketed, zinc oxide and titanium oxide-based sunscreens are “generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE).” PABA and trolamine salicylate are not GRASE. That leaves 12 ingredients with unknown safety factors.

What’s the deal with nanoparticles?

What enters into our bloodstream, and how it affects us, is at the core of the FDA’s recent reassessment of sunscreen safety — that of those instantly absorbed, or super convenient spray sunscreens, in particular. Some studies show that chemical sunscreens have the potential to disrupt our endocrine systems.

Mineral sunscreens aren’t exempt from this conversation. Mineral sunscreens are GRASE, but aren’t necessarily 100% risk-free, either. “Some of the mineral sunscreens are comprised of nanoparticles in order to reduce whiting,” says McCraw. (Whiting is that thick, cakey effect that’s hard to blend in). “The question is: What happens to those nanoparticles?”

The concern around nanoparticles stems from the fact that they’re small enough to absorb within a minute or so, but could potentially be small enough to enter the bloodstream. “What we’re seeing in these studies is that enough nanoparticles actually penetrate through the skin and get into the bloodstream to be significant,” says McCraw. “Given that fact, you might conclude that you’d rather wait until we know more about potential toxicity.”

While further testing could put both nanoparticles and chemical sunscreens in the clear, McCraw believes that the inclination to wait and see is a good one — as is raising awareness. “You tend to think of these kinds of products, even though they’re considered drugs by the FDA, as those that have no possibility for harm,” he says. “You put them on, wash them off, and they’re gone.” That’s just not the case.

What’s also becoming increasingly clear is the negative impact that chemical sunscreens can have on the environment — specifically, coral reefs. As the New York Times reported earlier this year, “The National Park Service says that 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen enter reef areas each year, and studies have found that the chemicals they contain can damage coral reefs, contributing to ‘bleaching’ and death.”

McCraw is quick to point out that these environmental impacts “are not necessarily unequivocal. There are people in the industry that are challenging the results based on the way studies were done,” he says. “But the arrow is definitely pointing in the direction of these things being an issue.”

Our buying choices are already making an impact, too. “As more places with coral reefs are banning these ingredients, bigger companies are hoping on the bandwagon,” says Trimble. “As more and more information comes out, consumers increasingly don’t want to buy the chemical sunscreen. The landscape has definitely changed.”

And in more good news: There are more and more clean, effective sunscreen alternatives available. Get matched to the best SPF products for you (like tinted moisturizer and primer) by taking NakedPoppy’s 3-min assessment!

Get “shockingly accurate” clean beauty picks. Take your beauty assessment.

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