Safe Sunscreen - Understanding Zinc Oxide by Josh Rosebrook

If you want a more general guide on what I love for the sunshine from natural fake tans to aluminium free deodorants, have a read here.

Sunscreen is an everyday essential in my beauty routine now, and understanding the very different types out there was such an eye opener to me.

The difference between the mineral protection and the chemical concoctions is so important to understand that I thought you should all read this fascinating and really clear article by my latest beauty guru discovery from Santa Monica, Josh Rosebrook - he knows a huge amount, he cares and he researches, which is very rare; his products are increasingly making up the majority of my bathroom cabinet!

His Nutrient Day Cream is a moisturiser and a 30 SPF all at once, and my daily go to:

Nutrient Day Cream SPF30 {which also comes in a tinted version you'll find and doubles as make-up!}

And the only one I use on my kids that is mineral and minus the hormone disruptors, rubs in, isn't chalky and smells delicious, thank you NYC!

Babo Clear Zinc Sunscreen if you order by August 31st you get free next day delivery using: LIZZIE24

This is the one I used before, which is also free from any nasties, but a little thicker for the rubdown (and a tad whiter)

Green People Organic Children Sun Lotion SPF30 – Scent Free 150ml

Sunscreen - always a hot topic and an absolute must for anyone serious about skin care. Spring, summer, fall and yes, WINTER - damaging UVA rays penetrate weather and cloud cover - and whether you live in a city or in the countryside, you need it. There is no city in the world where buildings block all the sun on every single corner or street - and all exposure adds up and contributes to the decline of the skin.

With so many highly questionable and proven unsafe, synthetic sunscreen ingredients on the market - Zinc Oxide is a savior. Zinc Oxide is the premier natural, mineral sunscreen ingredient on the market today. Safe, effective and broad spectrum, non nano Zinc Oxide physically blocks harmful, damaging solar rays. The mineral deflects rays to help protect and prevent accelerated deterioration of the skin and slow the appearance of age in the skin. Synthetic chemical sunscreens like Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, and Octinoxate, perform differently - they absorb solar rays and have been linked to hormone disruption, which can cause cancer.

When looking for a quality sunscreen, I often hear people ask what the percentage of Zinc Oxide is in a particular formula. Even when the product already states having a high SPF rating. Why? There is a misconception that more Zinc Oxide in a product will deliver higher level of UV protection and it just isn’t true. It’s not that simple.

Percentage of Zinc Oxide in a product does not equate to higher or lower SPF or more or less UVA protection.

SPF measures UVB rays only - the damaging rays that burn and age skin. UVA rays are responsible for skin damage but they do not cause sun burn. UVA rays are the ones that make their way through the clouds in the sky and your windows and cause skin damage.

UVA protection is not given a number or a rating to measure it’s ability to protect against UVA rays. A products ability to guard against UVA rays is either approved as meeting the minimum requirement for blocking a high percentage of the UVA rays, which concludes it Broad Spectrum, or not.

I’ve witnessed a few brands capitalize on and perpetuate the miseducation by marketing their higher percentage of ZO as a USP (Unique Selling Point), saying, “we have 20% zinc oxide for the most protection.” I’m not sure if they actually know this isn’t true or if they are miseducated as well.

Size of Zinc Oxide

There are many different sizes of Zinc Oxide each require varying percentages necessary to make the sunscreen product effective and reach a specific SPF. And It’s the proper FORMULATION that allows or disallows Zinc Oxide to disperse properly on the skin and allow it to become or not become a specific, effective SPF rating. It’s also the proper formulation that allows Zinc Oxide to stay blended properly in the bottle and remain stable, which again, will contribute to whether the product will or will not be dispersed effectively on the skin, protect properly, and be a specific SPF rating.

Coated Zinc Oxide

Zinc Oxide can also be treated with Silicones. Dimethicone/silicone coated Zinc Oxide, which isn’t biodegradable and harms the environment, ecosystems and animals, is used in products to make the Zinc Oxide less reactive and easier to mix/blend into formulations. We do not use coated Zinc Oxide.

Testing sunscreen products

There are different levels and costs to clinically screening and testing effectiveness of an SPF that is required by the FDA. What a brand can claim on a label can require additional testing and each country has their own SPF regulations.

The FDA doesn’t test sunscreen products! Brands are required to have their SPF products tested by an FDA registered, state certified lab and submit the results to the FDA.

The Nutrient Day Cream SPF30

Our Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30 contains 12% non nano, uncoated, high micron, large particle Zinc Oxide. In certified lab testing for FDA approval, our Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30 actually averages SPF 37 in these lab tests. Our Nutrient Day Cream SPF 30 and Tinted have been thoroughly evaluated by FDA certified, state registered lab facility - and have passed all UVA and UVB SPF 30 protection requirements. They are ‘Broad Spectrum' approved and exceed the minimum requirements necessary for all tests.

I hope you found that as interesting and informative as I did.