As we head into the hottest and sunniest months of summer, we often get questions from our patients about sunscreen. What are the best, safest, and cleanest sunscreens on the market? What products do we personally use as naturopathic doctors? With the overload of information out there and SO many sun protection products to choose from, it can understandably become an overwhelming decision. We hope this article will guide you to make the best choice for you and your loved ones!
The Importance and Benefits of Sunshine
At the outset, let us be clear that we are big fans of sunshine! It is the first of our Eight Pillars of Inspired Health for good reason!
An abundance of research shows that sunlight and nature help humans thrive. Living close to nature and spending time in the sun offers a range of benefits including boosted serotonin levels, improved sleep and melatonin release, more energy, lower blood pressure and more. Additionally, even 20-30 minutes of natural sunlight exposure daily can reduce the risk of certain ailments such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The Cortisol Awakening Response
We encourage moderate sun exposure, particularly in the early morning hours. The morning sunlight in your eyes stimulates the blue light receptor sites on your pineal gland to make the proper cortisol levels peak and set the stage for your energy levels and metabolism throughout the day.
Moderation is key. Overexposure to the sun over time can cause cellular damage, premature aging, and increase the risk of skin cancer. When sun exposure becomes intense or prolonged, especially during the peak hours of 10am and 4pm, sunscreen is an essential protective tool, along with the other obvious protection like hats, sunglasses, and lightweight clothing.
The Problem with Conventional Sunscreens
Many conventional sunscreens contain chemical filters that absorb UV rays but come with potential health and environmental concerns. These chemical filters have been shown to cause hormone and endocrine disruption, skin irritation and allergies, and environmental damage to coral reefs. Be on the lookout for these red flag chemical ingredients on sunscreen bottles:
- Oxybenzone
- Octinoxate
- Homosalate
- Octocrylene
- Avobenzone
A Healthier Option: Mineral Sunscreens
Mineral-based sunscreens are safer alternatives that use natural minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to reflect UV rays, rather than absorb them.
Mineral sunscreens are non-toxic and do not penetrate the bloodstream, they are broad-spectrum, meaning they protect against both UVA and UVB rays, and they are less likely to cause skin reactions or allergies.
The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Guide to Sunscreens is a helpful tool to gather information about sunscreen products. Their “Hazard Score Range” provides an easy way to glean if you should avoid a product (a high score in orange/red) or if a product is on the safer side (a low score in green). If a product is “EWG Certified,” it has met the EWG’s strict criteria for safe ingredients and UV protection. That is considered the “best” score, but anything in the green is also a good choice and safer option.
Mineral Sunscreens We Use and Recommend
There are lots of wonderful options for Mineral Sunscreens out there and the EWG’s 2025 Top Rated Sunscreens list is a great place to begin exploring. A few brands we use and prefer are:
- Badger
- Babo Botanicals
- Zelios Local Bend Based Company!
- Banana Boat Mineral Sunscreens (These don’t rank as high as Badger and Babo, but they are still a decent and affordable option. Make sure you choose the Mineral ones).
- Ursa Major Force Field SPF 30 (For face)
- Supergoop Mineral Sunscreens
Reducing Toxic Load is the Goal
We encourage you to get curious about the products you use daily on your skin (like a face sunscreen you might use year round for example). These are the ingredient labels you might want to examine more closely, and that goes for soap, lotions, perfumes etc too. The goal is always to lessen the toxic load on our bodies, so doing our best to avoid problematic chemicals in products we put on our skin is key.
Be safe, have fun, and enjoy the sunshine!
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