Looking for a reef-safe sunscreen that uses only zinc oxide as an active ingredient? You may want to keep looking!
With over 100 natural mineral sunscreens tested by my family of six in the past 10 years, we’ve had our share of miserable failures. White out? Paint drying? Sticky, chalky, makes you look like an alabaster statue or Casper the ghost?
I will tell you this: it’s entirely possible to find a zinc oxide sunscreen that is reef safe, really works, and goes on smoothly.
This brand is not one of them.
Read the full review below to find out all of its transgressions, and then be sure to go to my ultimate guide to natural mineral sunscreens to find a safe sunscreen that really works.
Elemental Herbs All Good Kid's Sunscreen
Overall
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Ease of Application
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Clean Ingredients
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Water Resistant
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Effectiveness
Details:
Price Range: varies, $$$$
EWG rating: 2
SPF: 33
Active ingredient(s): zinc oxide (22.5%), non nano Zinc Oxide 16% (Non-nanoparticle)
Other ingredients: Organic Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice, Water (Aqua), Organic Camelia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Glycerin, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Organic Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Organic Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Organic Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Fruit Oil, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Methylcellulose, Stearic Acid, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Organic Butyrospermun Parkii (Shea Butter), Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethyhexyl Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Bentonite, Calendula Of cinalis (Calendula) Flower*, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Car- thamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil*, Cellulose Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract*, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Heptyl Undecylenate, Jojoba Esters, Mauritia Flexuosa (Buriti) Fruit Oil*, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Octyldodecyl Oleate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil*, Water (Aqua).
*Certified Organic to USDA/NOP Standards.
UPDATE: This brand reformulated in 2020 and I haven’t gotten to test it yet. I hope to, but at first glance that’s a very low percentage of zinc oxide, so I wouldn’t trust your kids to it just yet!
Antioxidants added: green tea extract, rose hip fruit oil, others
Where to purchase: Amazon, All Good site
Ease of application: +/- gets a little of that “paint drying” effect if you’re not super quick to rub it in. Meh.
Scent: neutral, very “unscented” if you know what I mean
Water resistant? Doesn’t even claim to be. My friend said, “Not water resistant? Oh, that’s not good…” which is kind of how most parents probably think. Why not add some beeswax to up your game? Now claims up to 80 minutes water resistance.
My experience: This sunscreen feels like a plain old normal tube of sunscreen, which may be why I secretly gravitated toward it.
However, even though it’s very nicely creamy, it has the “whiteout” action that makes it streaky if you don’t rub it in within 2 seconds. The ingredients also include a few synthetic preservatives, and my daughter got incredibly sunburned on her school’s field day while wearing it. The one time I didn’t use two kinds, arg! (We were in a hurry!)
After the winter in storage (inside in normal temperatures) it still went on ok, although the white-out action is still there. You want to rub it in as fast as possible and you’re still not usually fast enough!
Pros
- Creamy, looks like “normal” sunscreen
Cons
- not water resistant
- dries fast and streaky
- “white-out” effect
- allowed sunburns
Wondering if this one is the very best natural sunscreen for your family?
I organized alllll the sunscreens we reviewed in each one’s recommendation category – one page, at-a-glance to find out what is safe to buy AND works! Print it or save to your phone for reference!
The guide also includes answers to questions people ask me all the time:
- Which brand rubs in the clearest?
- What’s the best for all day outdoor sports?
- How do I save money on natural sunscreens?
- What looks good on ladies’ faces?
- Is there an option that is FAST to apply to wiggly kids?
I’ll send a copy to your email so you can see it right away and find it again later!