Hey! So you’re interested in sunscreens? You’ve come to the right place!
Like many others, I wanted a sunscreen that was healthy, eco friendly, and not too expensive. So I started researching, and turns out, they’re not so easy to find! Usually, I’d just end up buying the cheapest one I can find at my local Walmart, just to save time and money. But there are so many harmful ingredients in “normal” sunscreens! Some ingredients mess with your hormones, some can cause cancer, and most are horrible for the environment. I wanted a better choice that I could afford, and after some careful considerations, I came up with a short list.
The following sunscreens only use non-nano zinc oxide to block the sun. As you may know, it is one of the only reef-safe, broad spectrum ingredients available. That means it is completely safe for the environment, and it blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
All of the following sunscreens are roughly at least 30 SPF, which is the minimum recommendation by the American Academy of Dermatology to protect against skin cancer. However, only the FDA approved sunscreens are tested to be the SPF level on the product. To be most effective, they should be reapplied every 2 hours, or as often as 40 minutes in water. Water resistant means it’s effective up to 80 minutes in water. As always, please read the label and follow the directions on the product for the best results.
I also made sure to choose sunscreens that are 100% safe to use on your skin, meaning no harmful ingredients. I’ve listed the ingredients under each product in case you are looking for something specific.
Please note that some products are certified to be cruelty free (leaping bunny certified). I will specifically state “certified” if it is. However, many brands are small businesses, and most are not certified. So, if they say cruelty free on their product/website, I’ve included it below.
Here are my picks for affordable, safe, environmentally friendly sunscreens! This particular list is completely plastic-free, and all packaging is either recyclable or compostable.
Color guide: Green buttons are biodegradable/compostable packaging, pink buttons are baby/kids options, purple is vegan, and gray is the brand’s sunscreen collection. And blue is everything else!
How I chose these sunscreens
I was very strict in choosing these suncreens, but I know that not everyone wants the same thing. I speicifally chose the following based on these criteria:
- $20 or less
- No plastic
- Safe on skin
- Reef safe
- 30+ SPF
- Sustainable Packaging
$14.95 3oz
Woman Owned, Biodegradable Packaging, Cruelty Free
Ingredients: Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Mango Butter, Non-Nano Zinc Oxide, Non-GMO Grapeseed Oil, Organic Vitamin E, Organic Beeswax
$20 3.4oz
FDA Approved, Multiple Tinted Options, Zero-Waste Options, Water Resistant, Woman Owned, Cruelty Free, NOT Fragrance Free
Active Ingredients: Non-Nano Zinc Oxide
Inactive: Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Kokum Butter, Local Beeswax, Vitamin E Oil, and Frankincense Essential Oil
$17.99 2oz
FDA Approved, Water Resistant, Woman Owned, Cruelty Free
Ingredients: cold-pressed unrefined coconut oil, raw shea butter, non nano zinc oxide, sesame oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, carrot seed oil, pure essential oils: lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, love
$19.49 3oz
FDA Approved, EWG Certified, Leaping Bunny Certified (Cruelty Free), Zero-Waste Options, Water Resistant
Active Ingredients: Non-Nano Zinc Oxide, Sunlfower Oil, Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E
Inactive Ingredients: Organic Green Tea, Organic Black Tea, Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Coffee Bean, Organic Sunflower Oil, Natural Mango Butter, Natural Rosemary, Cocoa Butter, Tocopherol
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$10 1oz
FDA Approved, Zero-Waste Options, Water resistant, Woman Owned, Leaping Bunny Certified (Cruelty Free), Climate Neutral Certified, EWG Certified, Tinted Options
Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 25% (Non-nanoparticle)
Inactive Ingredients: Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Calendula Flowers infused in Organic Jojoba Seed Oil, Non-GMO Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
$15.99 2.4oz
FDA Approved, Protect Land + Sea Certified, EWG Certified, Family Owned, Water Resistant, Leaping Bunny Certified (Cruelty Free)
Active Ingredient: Uncoated Zinc Oxide 22.5%
Base Ingredients:
Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Beeswax, Sunflower Vitamin E
$15.99 3oz
EWG Certified, Refill Options, Water Resistant, Woman Owned
Active Ingredient: Non-nano uncoated zinc oxide 22%
Inactive Ingredients: Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Fair Trade Shea Butter, Organic Jojoba Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Sunflower Vitamin E), Polyhydroxystearic Acid
$15 2.5oz
Family Owned, Water Resistant, Tinted Options, Zero Waste Options, NOT Fragrance Free
Active ingredients: non nano zinc oxide 20%
Ingredients: organic hawaiian naupaka leaf, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic shea butter, organic bees wax, organic red rasberry seed oil, organic vitamin e, organic carrot seed oil, organic lavender oil
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Please note: This brand is having limited availability
$16 2oz
Tinted Options, Zero Waste Options, Cruelty Free, Water Resistant, Women Owned
Ingredients: (Non-Nano) Zinc Oxide, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Beeswax, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Red Raspberry Seed Oil, Organic Vitamin E Oil, Organic Cacao Powder (For Tint)
$15 2oz
Vegan + Certified Cruelty Free, Zero-Waste Options, Sample Size Options, Family Owned, NOT Fragrance Free
Ingredients: extra virgin organic olive oil, non-nano 25% zinc oxide, organic sesame seed oil, candelilla wax (vegan), virgin non-GMO raw macadamia nut oil, virgin organic coconut oil, tocopherol (vitamin e T-50), French lavender essential oil
$19.95 2oz
Vegan, Woman Owned, Sample Size Options
Ingredients: Organic Matcha Green Tea, Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Non-nano Zinc Oxide, Organic Shea Butter, Red Raspberry Seed Oil, Candelilla Wax, Non-GMO Vitamin E Oil
$16 2oz
Vegan Options, Higher SPF Options, Family Owned, Customizable
Ingredients: red raspberry seed oil, organic macadamia nut oil, organic shea butter, non nano zinc oxide, organic beeswax (or candelilla wax for our vegan version), organic lavender essential oil, organic peppermint essential oil, vitamin e