If finding the best natural sunscreen to cover your body (and those of your loved ones) was tricky – it’s too sticky, too thick, too white, and on and on – hunting down the perfect natural sunscreen for your delicate facial skin can seem a Herculean hurdle.
After all, a lot of us have temper tantrum prone skin and the last thing we need is to give our pores something else to complain about. Especially in the acne-aggravating, hot humidity of summer.
And who wants to top off already sensitive, oily skin with sticky-feeling goop that comes with a white cast? Not I. Probably not you, either.
So if you’re on the market for an all-natural facial sunscreen that’ll keep your pores happy and your skin glowing – here’s a little roundup.
Top 3 Natural Facial Sunscreen Picks Perfect for Oily, Acne-Prone Skin
Original Sprout Face and Body Sunscreen
Considering the active ingredient is zinc oxide, this natural sunscreen won’t leave you looking at all like Casper. It’s quick to disappear into your skin and leaves your face feeling hydrated without a hint of greasiness or stickiness.
And if you – like me – have pores that ooze oil in the summer months, you’ll be very grateful for the non-oily nature of this sunscreen. Since it’s not thick or heavy, you can wear it under your makeup as well.
Oh, and it’s a vegan sunscreen that’s free of pretty much everything – petroleum oils, parabens, phytoestrogens, dioxanes, sulfates, phthalates, formaldehyde), propylene glycol – and has quite a handful of skin-benefiting ingredients instead.
The price is also lovely, but the downside is that it’s not waterproof or even particularly water-resistant. So it’s ideal for daily, walking around sort of use but if you’re planning to sweat, be prepared to reapply. A lot.
EWG Rating: N/A
Price: $13
Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 10%, Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vegetable Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Fruit Extracts of Pyrus Malus (Apple), Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot), (Vanilla) Planifolia, Dipteryx Odorata Seed, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple), Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry), Lonicera Caprifolium & Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle), Extracts of Organic Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Organic (Arnica) Montana Flower
Juice Beauty SPF 30 Sport
This is my personal favorite natural sunscreen for the body – and it doubles quite nicely for the face as well. And don’t worry about the “Sport” part – I actually assumed this would make it heavier and greasier so I opted for Juice Beauty’s SPF 30 Oil-Free Moisturizer instead and found that one to be much greasier and stickier than this formulation.
This Sport sunscreen actually feels quite lovely on the face – it’s super moisturing (to the point where I don’t even have to use lotion beforehand), goes on matte and doesn’t leave a white cast. Keep in mind, though, that it is quite rich and creamy – like butter – so while it’ll leave you with a nice glow, it’s not the best for layering. Mineral makeup on top works, but it can look a little cakey with liquid foundation or BB cream on top.
The upside is that this sunscreen is very lightly tinted so you’ll get a bit of coverage with it alone. The only downside to this sunscreen is the smell. It’s not terrible, it’s just not the beautifully scented stuff most of us are used to. It’s more…earthy. But hey, so are the ingredients.
EWG Rating: 1
Price: $16.00
Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 20%, organic juices of aloe barbadensis (organic aloe juice)*, pyrus malus (organic apple juice)*, vitis vinifera (organic white grape juice)*, cocos nucifera (organic coconut oil)*, caprylic/capric triglycerides, sorbitan stearate, ricinus communis (castor seed oil), hydrogenated methyl abietate, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, magnesium sulfate, helianthus annuus (organic sunflower seed oil)*, simmondsia chinensis (organic jojoba seed oil)*, tocopherol (Vitamin E), magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (Vitamin C), citrus limonum (lemon extract), iron oxides, phenethyl alcohol, ethylhexylglycerin, citrus reticulata (mandarin) & citrus aurantium (petitgrain) pureessentialoils* = Certified organic ingredients
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream SPF 30
Need more coverage than sunscreen can provide? Go for multitasking sun protection. Juice Beauty’s CC cream is probably one of their best products – you get broad spectrum protection from the sun’s rays, non-greasy hydration, as well as adequate concealment of spots and blemishes you want to cover.
Best part? It imparts a lovely glow and won’t make you break out. The consistency of the cream is quite thick, but it goes on lightweight, spreads quite easily, is totally non-sticky and non-oily looking and again, it doesn’t cause or aggravate existing blemishes.
It also comes in 5 shades so the chances of you finding your color are good – the only drawback is that the coverage isn’t amazing. It’s not anything close to what you’ll get with a full-on concealer. But that being said, it’s a lot more than what you’ll get from sunscreen alone and it is a layer-able cream so feel free to dab some concealer on top if and when you need to.
EWG Rating: 1
Price: $39
Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 20%, Juice Beauty proprietary blend of fruit stem cells: apple buds, grape buds & lemon bark. Organic juices of apple*, white grape*, aloe leaf*, organic coconut oil*, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sorbitan stearate, castor seed oil, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, magnesium sulfate, organic sunflower seed oil*, organic jojoba seed oil*, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, sodium hyaluronate (vegetable hyaluronic acid), apple buds, grape buds & lemon bark, iron oxides, phenethyl alcohol, ethylhexylglycerin, mandarin & petitgrain pure essential oils.
Suntegrity Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen and Primer SPF 30
I have mixed feelings about this sunscreen but am including it because it’s really great for people with a slightly different skin type – specifically, this is a great natural facial sunscreen for those with dry, sensitive and not particularly acne-prone skin.
It has a thick and creamy consistency that’s uber moisturizing but fairly easy to blend. It’ll feel a little greasy at first, but that goes away as it dries. It also doesn’t leave a white cast. The downside is that it did seem to make my blemishes a little angrier and since I’m not alone in this, would probably not recommend this one for people who don’t want to risk aggravating their acne – especially for this price tag.
For dry and sensitive-skinned beauties, however, this one might be a keeper.
EWG Rating: 1
Price: $45.00
Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Capric Caprylic Triglycerides (Coconut Oil Extract), Water (Aqua), Sorbitan Stearate (Plant Derived), Glyceryl Stearate (Plant Derived), Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate (Plant Derived), Hexyl Laurate (Plant Derived), Simmondsia Chinensis (Organic Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cetyl Dimethicone (Mineral Derived), Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt), Helianthus Annuus (Organic Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Organic Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Astaxanthin (Algae Source), Hyaluronic Acid (Plant Derived), Chlorella Emersonii (Red Algae) Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Organic Green Tea) Extract, Punica Granatum (Organic Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Essential Oil, Citrus Sinensis (Sweet Orange) Essential Oil, Citrus Reticulata Blanco (Tangerine) Essential Oil, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide*, Ethylhexylglycerin* *Paraben-free preservative
Note: Yes, there are tons and tons of natural sunscreens out there and yes, this is a super short list. That’s due to the simple fact that of all the sunscreens out there, there aren’t that many that are a great fit for finicky pores. These are just the best we’ve found for non-Casper-looking, non-angry-blemish-causing, non-toxic facial sunscreens.
