Up-to-Date Kitchen Stewardship Natural Sunscreen Review

Table Of Contents

Quick Buy Links for Natural Sunscreen that WORKS!
Safe Mineral Sunscreen Guide
Frequently Asked Questions about Mineral Sunscreen
Don't Get Greenwashed by "Reef-Friendly" Labeling!

Our family has personally reviewed over 120 mineral-based, reef-safe sunscreens, so we truly know what works and can save you SO much time and money. A Fox morning anchor even called me “the Wikipedia of sunscreens” in an interview that’s been viewed over 2 million times on Facebook.

We truly have A/B tested sunscreens every summer since 2010—my kids don’t even comprehend if I say, “You can wear just one brand today…”

Crazy though – only a handful have made the cut for my top recommended slots!

These top recommended brands apply smoothly, won’t make you look like a ghost, and will stay on in the water for all your summer fun. And with my hundreds of hours of research, expert interviews, and personal testing, you can be assured that the ingredients are of the highest standards (I have a 10-point “must-have” checklist!).

Quick Buy Links for Natural Sunscreen that WORKS!

If you just need to grab a tube or two, here are the top recommended for this sunscreen season (links go directly to other sites to purchase):

Kōkua Suncare with tons of antioxidants and my kids’ favorite scent and application
3rd Rock Essentials rubs in well and reliably prevents burns in our tests (use the code KITCHENSTEW for 20% off!)
Raw Elements for so many reasons, including their tinted stick for adult faces (all styles, use KS10 for 10% off!)
ThinkBaby or ThinkSport – My sister-in-law’s favorite and often is most economical in the large tubes. Just an all around great choice for families with the dabba dabba method!
Coppertone Pure & Simple Baby – The only big, national brand I can stand behind even a little. Triple check that it’s 100% zinc oxide so you aren’t tricked by Coppertone’s chemical sunscreen also in a pink bottle, and note that it’s really thin, so you may need to reapply more often. Easiest to find in retail stores, though!
Soleo – Rubs in amazingly well and has beaten some of our past favorites in side-by-side testing for efficacy. Take this one with you if you’re going to be out all day! Texture is like a light whipped mousse, but not sure if it’s as waterproof as some of the others.
Stream2Sea – Biggest variety with sport, tinted, and shimmer, which includes glitter. This takes some effort to rub in, but once it’s there, it’s good!
Others that make the top recommended cut: Badger, Raw Love (use code KS10 for 10% off), Coral Safe

Safe Mineral Sunscreen Guide

You might want more info than that though!

Download this natural sunscreen cheat sheet for all the details in a quickly consumable format you can save to access anytime, anywhere. You’ll get the SPF lowdown, why antioxidants are important, how to evaluate your own sunscreen for clean, reef-safe ingredients, and all of my favs in a quick list.

I don’t want the cheat sheet. Take me directly to the reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mineral Sunscreen

Which brand of Mineral Sunscreen Rubs in the Clearest?

Because zinc oxide sits on the surface of the skin, it’s very common to see a bit of a white cast or sheen on the person. However, some brands do tend to disappear better than others, even without using questionable micronized or nano-sized particles. They include:

Any tinted mineral sunscreen that isn’t too dark for your skin tone is going to nearly erase the white cast!

What Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Is the Best for All-Day Outdoor Sports?

If you’re sweating like crazy and spending all day outside, you need a sunscreen that will stick with you and isn’t hard to apply. Here are our favorites, after testing over 120 options:

Raw Elements
Badger Sport
3rd Rock (formulated by a surfer chemist!)
Stream2Sea Water Sport

Which Mineral Sunscreen Does an Expert Put on Her Babies or Wiggly Kids?

The great thing about shifting your family to non-toxic products is that you don’t have to ask, What do I use on my babies differently than the rest of the family? The sunscreens we’ve tested that work great on adults, even sport versions, have ingredients that are equally as safe and gentle for sensitive skin, including babies.

Couple tips for squirmy little ones. One, use a stick for faces so you can’t possibly get any in their eyes. Two, experiment to see if you prefer thicker or thinner sunscreen. Sometimes thinner is faster to apply, but also more likely to get everywhere. Thicker can be pretty quick with my dabba dabba method. Here are some favorites for babies:

Raw Elements and Raw Love – both come in a metal tin so you can leave it open and just dip your fingers in quickly. Compare that to a tube that you have to constantly pick up and squeeze into your hand. Tins are fast!
Kōkua and 3rd Rock are so super safe and simple to apply.
ThinkBaby is wonderful for families, especially the price point.
Soleo, easy texture.
Favorite sticks include Raw Elements, ThinkSport, and Babo Botanicals Sport Shield Stick.

Is There a Mineral Sunscreen That Looks Good on Ladies’ Faces as a Base Layer or Daily SPF?

Yes, absolutely, although I personally don’t recommend putting on an SPF moisturizer every day, since I believe we need some exposure to sun for our vitamin D levels and more. If you are on that train, you might as well keep it safe and non-toxic.

The answer to this question also applies for those days when you know you’ll be in the sun and want something that looks good on the face and not too ghostly.

I never put tinted sunscreens on my kids’ bodies–first because they’re often more expensive, and second because they stain quickly. (Although zinc oxide does too with dark clothing.) Hold these back just for faces!

In my opinion, here are the best:

Raw Elements tinted face stick or tin
Earth Mama Lady Face tinted stick (Be sure to put this one on thin and rub it in! Many tinted options are too dark for my very light-skinned husband, but this one was not)
Stream2Sea tinted
Avasol stick – One of the few with a variety of shades to match your skin tone.

How Do I Save Money on Natural Mineral Sunscreens for the Family?

As prices change quickly, likely I won’t be able to keep this updated with actual price per ounce. However, here are some general guidelines to follow:

Look for large tubes or tins. Always remember to check price per ounce.
Check around with deals and coupons, including many exclusive coupons that I have here on this page!
Look for bulk discounts. For example, ThinkSport and ThinkBaby will often have two or three tubes together and they’re big, so the price per ounce is very competitive.
Don’t throw away your sunscreen. Zinc oxide never expires! So the only reason to actually throw away mineral sunscreen even past its expiration date is if you can smell that the oils have gone rancid. That definitely happens, but the sunscreen would still work to protect you from burns.

I find that the tins from Raw Elements last forever. You don’t have to shake them up, so unlike a tube, they can’t become de-emulsified, i.e. separated and difficult to use. And I’ve even purchased them the month they expired on clearance and used them a full year later! Still perfect.

When you download the printable you’ll be taken to all our sunscreen reviews and research so you can learn more!

Don’t Get Greenwashed by “Reef-Friendly” Labeling!

I am fed UP with the big brands right now, because they all just came out with “reef-friendly” sunscreens that only omit the 2 ingredients banned in Hawaii starting in 2021, oxybenzone and octinoxate. But they left all the other chemical actives in there, which are NOT reef-safe!

Don’t get burned by dumb labels. Get the download so you know the REAL truth about what all those ingredients mean!

No Thanks, Take Me Right to the Reviews!

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