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 mineral sunscreens 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.
If you’re looking for one of the best natural sunscreens, you’re in the right place!
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.
Relevé Organic Skincare Sun-Lite 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:
2023 UPDATE: Emerald Essentials’ site is gone and social media not updated. They appear to no longer be in business.
Price Range: $$$$ – $$$$
EWG rating: 1
SPF: 20
Active ingredient(s): zinc oxide (20%), non-nano
Other ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Fresh Spring Water, Vegetable Wax, Organic Beeswax, Grapeseed Oil, Sunflower Seed Lecithin, Coconut Fatty Acids, Pine Bark Extract, Fermented Horseradish, Organic Grapefruit Extract.
Antioxidants added: grapeseed oil
Where to purchase: Emerald Essentials or Amazon
Ease of application: + very smooth! Spreads quite far!
Scent: neutral, pleasant. I think I can smell the slightest hint of citrus, which is maybe the grapefruit extract.
Water resistant? Not tested, but anything with beeswax gives me great hope!
My experience: I’m actually looking forward to testing this one further as the summer wears on (2016), because we only got a few tests in this spring. Relevé sort of flew under my radar because I was distracted by many of the other new ones needing my attention for weird ingredients or terrible consistency. My only note about Relevé? Rubbed in well. And that my 4yo didn’t love the smell, but it’s unscented, so take that with a grain of salt. When I read and re-read the ingredients to make this update, I was so pleasantly surprised. They’re super clean, not an unpronounceable in sight. Then I visited the company’s website and discovered…
<p>Star Feature: Emerald Essentials seems to be a company that takes health and the environment very seriously, so I’m tickled to have found them! I’ll be sure to update if the bottle falls flat as we move into summer, but for now, I’m cautiously putting this one as one of my very few top recommendations!
UPDATE 6/13/16: Relevé has still performed well as far as rubbing in fairly easily, but one thing I realized was that a 20SPF really isn’t quite the same as a 30SPF when you’re really going to be in the sun allllll day. Our whole family burned up with 3 long days in the sun this weekend 🙁 and although Relevé is definitely stronger than some others, it’s not quite as tough as Badger’s 30 SPF, for example. Still a good choice, but not for super fair skin stuck out in the sun all day!
Big thanks to Dawn of Reveal Natural Health for sending this one my way!
Pros
- Great, clean ingredients
- Spreads well
Cons
- SPF 20 may not be high enough
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!