I put my heart and soul into finding the best natural mineral sunscreen over the last 10 years. My family of 6 has personally tested over 100 reef-safe sunscreen options, putting two on our bodies every time we are in the sun.
Our a/b tests have been stringent, and we really know what options are effective, rub in well, and last a long time.
Of all those well over 100 choices, we only have about a dozen that we love — and this brand is one of them.
As you’ll read in the full review below, this zinc oxide sunscreen covers all the bases and keeps your family safe from sunburn. It uses pristine ingredients to the highest standard, goes on smooth, and actually lasts.
If you’d like to see how it stacks up against other natural mineral sunscreen brands that use reef-safe zinc oxide, then head over to my ultimate guide to natural mineral sunscreens for the complete list of safe sunscreen reviews.
Miessence Organics Reflect Outdoor Balm
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:
2021 UPDATE: DISCONTINUED
Price: 2020 price estimate: ~ $$$$
EWG rating: 1 or 2 (old formula, not updated yet)
SPF: 15, but independently rated at 29.5 Not sure about that – can’t find SPF rating anymore! Australian product
Active ingredient(s): zinc oxide (used to be 29.5% but percentage not listed anymore)
Antioxidants added: natural vitamin E, carrot seed and rosemary extracts
Other ingredients: organic olea europae (olive) fruit oil, organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) fruit butter, organic unrefined cera alba (beeswax), mixed tocopherols (natural Vitamin E), organic copernicia prunifera (carnauba) wax, natural coconut extract, parfum (proprietary blend of botanical extracts), organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, organic rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, daucus carota (carrot) seed extract.
Where to purchase: Miessence Store
Ease of application: +/- This product is very thick and pasty (see photo up in description of review), but does it ever stay on when wet!
Scent: smells like clay, neutral
Water resistant? Very!
My experience: Although the product is difficult to rub in, you get rewards in water resistance. All my husband’s friends were impressed with how it held up as they sweated playing volleyball (see photo below). We had some incidences of light sunburns with the product, but usually only after towel drying and forgetting to reapply (lesson learned!). It also made clear white streaks around the burn on my sister-in-law when she applied it unevenly, so that’s a pretty clear indication that it works to protect from the sun. I’m a fan of the product overall, and if organic and sustainable ingredients are important to you, Miessence is a great option.
Star Feature: Super certified ingredients, carbon neutral and other community-minded goals.
It’s almost hard to believe how well Miessence repels water. The product was applied on skin already wet with sweat, and the photo was taken after about a half an hour, obviously after more sweating.
Pros
- SUPER water resistant
Cons
- thick and pasty
- hard to rub in
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!