The Best Natural Sunscreens and Why You Need Them This Summer

We all love the sunshine that comes with those hot summer days—and most of us also know about the dangers of too much sun.

While the radiation from the sun provides light and warmth, a third type of radiation known as ultraviolet or UV radiation can cause harmful effects to your skin. 

When your cells absorb ultraviolet radiation, the UV can damage sensitive substances that influence your skin's normal growth and appearance, resulting in sunburn, faster aging of the skin, and in the worst case scenario, skin cancer.

Protect Your Skin

Skin cancer, an abnormal growth of skin cells, most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But there’s good news! You can take steps to limit sun damage and prevent the risk of cancer caused by the sun. In fact, skin cancer is among the most common types of cancer, but also one of the most preventable. 

Follow guidelines such as those provided by the Canadian Cancer Society: seek out the shade, cover up with protective clothing, hats and sunglasses, and wear sunscreen. 

Not All Sunscreen Is Created Equal

Here’s what you need to know about sunscreen:

1. When you reach for sunscreen, check the sun protection factor or SPF, which is the rating of the strength of the product. The SPF tells you how well it screens or blocks out the sun’s UVB rays: SPF 15 sunscreen blocks 93% of UVB rays, and SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays.

2. The most common sunscreens are chemical, which means they absorb and reduce the ability of rays to penetrate your skin. However, many of the active ingredients in sunscreens have been identified as environmentally harmful. That’s because of the negative impact on coral reefs and marine organisms, even inducing coral bleaching in reefs. They can also irritate skin when absorbed.

3. Sunscreens containing products called “physical blockers”—instead of chemicals—are a better alternative for several reasons. Because they sit on top of the skin and block the UV rays, instead of absorbing into the skin, they provide the most effective protection for sensitive skin. Zinc oxide, for instance, is a physical blocker, and since it doesn’t absorb, it won’t cause irritation.

Zinc oxide also provides broad spectrum protection against the entire range of UVA and UVB rays. That means your skin gets the best sun protection. Finally, zinc oxide sunscreens are also considered safe for reefs.

The Best Natural Sunscreens To Use This Summer

We stand by our plant-based products, including our sunscreens, which are healthy for you, your family and the planet. Our Natural Sunblock is perfect for the whole family to use, and is available in two SPF ratings. 

Nezza Naturals Sunblock is blended with transparent zinc oxide and boosted with the added sun protection of pure red raspberry seed oil. These all-natural minerals block UV rays while still creating a reef-safe sunblock, making it the ideal travel companion. It’s also non-greasy and won’t clog pores, making it safe for all skin types and ages. You can even use it as a daily moisturizer!

It can be used for body and face, comes in 15 SPF or 30 SPF and is available in three sizes. Our SPF 30 hardly has the white effect that other sunscreens with zinc oxide have, and our SPF 15 has less zinc oxide so it is even easier to blend! 

Don’t forget about your lips! Our SPF lip balms like Creamsicle also contain transparent zinc oxide for UVA/UVB protection, along with organic oils and butters.