As much as we enjoy the first rays of sunshine, protection for the skin is a must. Because not only sunburn, but also light-induced skin aging cause her problems. What role does UVA and UVB radiation play in this? And which sun protection is justifiable in natural cosmetics? Here you'll find answers. We have also tested natural sunscreens for you. Discover our favorites in terms of ingredients, handling and wearing comfort.
Sonnenpflege
Natural sunscreen - what to look out for?
Sun protection is a must, but which one?
Actually, sun protection is an issue all year round. Because when the sun is shining, your skin also needs protection - it doesn't care if it's winter. But of course the topic is much more present in the summer.
And sun protection has to be able to do a lot: first of all, of course, repels UVA and UVB rays. He can also take care of your skin. It should be as natural as possible (keyword «INCI list»). And nature shouldn't suffer for your protection, that applies particularly to beach holidays by the sea, but more on that later.
First of all, what kind of sun protection can rightly be called natural cosmetics. And a few promising candidates, because FIVE doesn't have its own sunscreen yet, we tested it especially for you.
☀️ By the way: Even "those who live in glass houses" have to diligently apply cream, because window glass does not block UVA radiation!
Is there natural sunscreen? A look at the ingredients
You swear by natural cosmetics? Then the search for sun protection that meets your expectations is not entirely without it - not to mention liquid plastic, silicone and other ingredients that are usually found in conventional products. From a natural cosmetics point of view, UV filters are not an easy topic, as a glance at the different filter types shows...
Overview of sun protection filters
Chemical UV filters
💛 Invisible protection
🙁 You have to keep applying cream
🙁 Suspected of having a hormonal effect
🙁 Not natural
🙁 Dangerous for Aquatic organisms
Conclusion: Natural care looks different. And chemical filters are clearly the worst solution for nature too.
Mineral UV filters
🙁 Unwanted white film possible
💛 But great for children: visible protection
💛 Photostable with long-lasting effect
💛 Natural protection
Conclusion: A clear recommendation for fans of natural cosmetics. And there are products that hardly ever “whiten” at all, as we have seen in our self-experiment.
Mineral UV filter with nanoparticles
💛 Invisible protection
🙁 Not harmless to health
🙁 Long-term effects not sufficiently researched
Conclusion: Better be careful with this!
Chemical filters
Chemical filters absorb the radiation and convert it into thermal energy. These filters are invisible on the skin. However, after some time they lose their effectiveness. Therefore, the following applies above all here: reapply cream frequently and generously. But honestly, who thinks about it all the time? In addition, chemical filters are suspected of having a hormonal effect. Especially for children and pregnant women, they are therefore not the drug of choice.And - this is important for everyone who likes to take baths - these chemicals are very harmful to the aquatic environment
Mineral filters - the choice of natural cosmetics
On the other hand, there are the mineral filters that natural sun cosmetics normally rely on. They form mechanical protection from the two substances zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide, which deflects the sun's rays from the skin like small mirrors. They protect reliably and without nanoparticles are harmless to health. From a natural cosmetics point of view, the recommendation is clear.
Only the look spoils the joy. Because mineral filters often leave a visible, white film on the skin. You should definitely apply this sunscreen in front of the mirror and distribute it carefully.
Nano filters are still little explored
To counteract the optical «whitening», some manufacturers use mineral filters with nanoparticles. Here the filter particles are so small that they leave no visible traces. However, it is still unclear how nanoparticles affect the body in the long term. Can they get into the bloodstream because of their size? How do they affect our DNA? All of this has hardly been researched. Natural cosmetics – why plant power simply cares better and these two links will tell you more about why we are cautious about nanotechnology in cosmetics:
- Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (BUND): Nanomaterials in cosmetics
- Institute for Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences: Nanotechnology in cosmetics
☝️ Tip: How do you know if your sunscreen contains nanoparticles? On the addition "Nano" next to individual ingredients in the INCI list. But they have no place in honest natural cosmetics.
Our conclusion: without hesitation, there is another way. Fortunately, there are some natural cosmetics manufacturers who have created virtually invisible formulations without this technology. We will present a few of them at the end of this article.
Coral-friendly sunscreen
Many conventional sunscreens contain chemical compounds that dissolve in water and are ecosystem sea downright poison. Unfortunately, this also applies to many "waterproof" products with chemical filters. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports, even Stiftung Warentest has complained that waterproof protection is often limited in time (twice 20 minutes). After that, the water is better creamed than the skin, which of course also reduces the protection.
Because the chemicals contribute to coral death and damage reefs, many snorkeling trip operators are now banning the use of sunscreen. Ideally, natural cosmetics not only keep an eye on skin health, but also on a healthy nature. Therefore, many natural cosmetics manufacturers ensure that their formulations are free of such substances. For example, by using mineral filters instead of chemical ones. With a little attention when shopping, you make sure that your sun protection does everything and doesn't break anything!
Does sunscreen go in, over or under other cosmetics?
It makes sense to combine your normal care product with an effective sunscreen. Sunscreen simply belongs on the skin in much larger quantities. For the face alone, a teaspoonful of sunscreen is a rule of thumb. You normally only apply a fraction of this amount of moisturizing serum and the like.
This is one of the reasons why Five Skincare does not use a sun protection factor in its care products. However, they get along very well with sunscreen. Our moisturizing serum, for example, is very light and absorbs quickly.
The feather-light and oil-free FIVE facial serum provides moisture and is absorbed without leaving any residue. It forms the ideal care basis for sun protection.
Perhaps make-up is added to day care. So what goes where?
Mineral filters act as sun reflectors, so they belong at the top. So first apply your day cream or your moisturizing serum and sunscreen on top of that. Tip: If you want to combine mineral sunscreen with make-up, use Mineral Make-up. This is also based on zinc oxide and may be worn as the top layer.
For chemical filters the sequence is not so important since they react with the skin. As a rule, it is sufficient if you apply our FIVE face serum in the morning and sunscreen on top of it. If your sunscreen is very light, you can mix the face serum with some face oil in the palm of your hand and apply both together to the face. Wait a moment, then apply sunscreen over it. Good to know: Not all chemical filters are photostable. They may lose their effect after a period of time in the sun. That's why it's worth replenishing.
Comparison of natural sunscreens
One of the questions I get most frequently is: "Anna, can you recommend a natural cosmetic sunscreen?" That's why I and my team have three natural Products in a self-experiment tested, two for the body, one product for the face Of course, only sunscreens that passed our strict INCI check made it into the selection. According to their INCI lists, all tested products are ...
✓ Broadband UVA/UVB sun protection
✓ SPF 30 (so that the products can also be compared)
✓ Free from chemical UV filters
✓ Free from plastic and silicone
✓ Free from Parabens
✓ Alcohol free
✓ Nano particle free
✓ Cruelty free
✓ Coral friendly
Mineral sunscreen for the body tested:
Eco Cosmetics: Eco sun lotion neutral SPF 30 - without perfume 🧴
Eco Cosmetics is an independent family business specializing in sun care. Eco Cosmetics puts a lot of energy into the manufacture of innovative products and was the first manufacturer to bring a natural cosmetic sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 50+ onto the market. In order for this to succeed, the UV filter titanium dioxide is coated with an even more reflective material: alumina (corundum). Attention: The particle size is too large to get into the body through your skin, so this aluminum compound is harmless.
- 100% natural ingredients, 28.08% organic ingredients
- COSMOS ORGANIC certified by ECOCERT
- UV filter: titanium dioxide
- Palm oil free
- Vegan
- 100ml, around CHF 20 / EUR 17
Biosolis sun spray SPF30 🧴
Of all three sunscreens tested, Biosolis contains the least processed ingredients and consists of over 50 percent organic ingredients. By the way, you will find the substance Aluminum Hydroxide on the INCI list. In this case, this is not harmful, as it serves to encase the UV filters and they reflect the UV radiation much more strongly. The particle size is too big to get into your body through your skin.
- 99% natural ingredients, 51.20% organic ingredients
- COSMOS ORGANIC certified by ECOCERT
- UV filter: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (in new formulation 2019 only titanium dioxide)
- Palm oil free
- Vegan
- 100ml, around CHF 24 / EUR 16
Our conclusion ✏️
Anna, founder of Five Skincare:
My first impression of the Eco sunscreen and the Biosolis was about what I expected: both creams are very tacky and spread quite badly.However, my initial skepticism very quickly turned into enthusiasm, because the whitening effect on the skin disappears almost completely after a maximum of one minute. That's a great achievement for mineral sunscreens without Nanoparticles.
The Biosolis is slightly easier to apply. From my point of view, however, it has the major disadvantage that the skin feels very greasy after applying the cream (and also later). I went jogging and could tell right away that I was sweating a lot more on my arm with the Biosolis than with the Eco. That speaks quite clearly for the Eco.
Another advantage, the Eco smells absolutely not, while the Biosolis has a typical sunscreen smell. It may be subtle, but it still stands out when used over a large area.
For me, the Eco is clearly the winner.
Addendum: I have just come back from a 5-day paddling tour and have been able to test the Eco even more intensively, also on my face: the protective effect was very good, no sunburn even with frequent contact with water and a lot of sun. The only disadvantage: the canoe, black tops and mobile phone display were temporarily covered with a white film. This can be washed out of clothing very easily, but it was a bit more difficult with technical devices.
Conclusion Sarah-Jasmin, Five Skincare Online Editor
As soon as you apply them, both feel very rich, the Biosolis especially. The whitening effect looks strong at first, but both spread well and then only a very slight shimmer remains. But you have to look closely, so not dramatically.
The wearing comfort is comfortable. The Eco in particular cares for dry areas (rough, dryness lines) really, really well. Both of them also take part in sports without hesitation. Personally, I like it when a touch of "summer" blows around my nose - so a small plus point for the Biosolis, because the other one is unscented.
I was quite surprised by Eco on my face (combination skin!). It felt sticky at first, but only until it absorbed. Afterwards the skin was nice and soft. Nevertheless, this product felt a bit too heavy for my face, it may look different with dry skin. In any case, the spray from Biosolis is far too rich for my face. The oily feeling has not evaporated even hours later. I also found it difficult to apply concealer on top of it because it smeared immediately.
My conclusion: the whitening was not a problem and the skin just feels really well cared for for hours with both products. This is significantly longer than I know from many other sun creams. My favorite is definitely the Eco Cosmetics sun lotion because it is particularly soft on my dry skin.
Testing mineral sunscreen for the face:
MÁDARA: Age Protecting Sunscreen SPF 30 🧴
Luxury sun cream for the perfect finish with regenerating ingredients. The sunscreen is tinted, which is a pretty clever move to prevent the dreaded whitening of mineral sunscreens.Compared to the other two products, the sunscreen for the face makes small compromises in the naturalness of the ingredients and is therefore not certified by Ecocert as "organic", but "only" as "natural". For example, it contains palm oil, but only in small amounts Quantities and RSPO certified.
All in all, one has to say: Mádara stands out clearly in a positive way compared to other sunscreens that call themselves natural or even organic, but contain silicones, for example. With Mádara, application benefits and naturalness come together in a great symbiosis.
- 99% natural ingredients, 8% organic ingredients
- COSMOS NATURAL certified by ECOCERT
- UV filter: zinc oxide
- 40ml, around CHF 29 / EUR 29
Our conclusion ✏️
Anna, founder of Five Skincare:
For this sunscreen I have not a single disadvantage to note. It's very dark toned and I was pretty sure it wouldn't suit my skin. But lo and behold, you can't see anything on the skin at all. The name Invisible nude used by Mádara is therefore 100 percent correct.
The cream is also super easy to apply, doesn't feel greasy and I even started applying it every morning over the FIVE facial serum and the FIVE facial oil. Actually, I always advise against applying sunscreen or day cream with a sun protection factor to your face in the morning for the office, as chemical filters start to disintegrate shortly after application. The UV filter that was applied in the morning may no longer be effective in the evening at the aperitif. However, this is not the case with sunscreens with a mineral filter – such as Mádara sunscreen. Mineral filters cannot go "bad", so protection is still guaranteed.
I can give an absolute purchase recommendation for the Mádara sunscreen. I didn't think this was possible.
Conclusion Sarah-Jasmin, Five Skincare Online Editor
The tinted cream from Mádara was an absolutely positive surprise for me. Admittedly, the first thing I thought about the color was: Ouch, that doesn't fit at all! But lo and behold, the cream melts so well into the skin that it only looks as if I've already gotten a touch of the sun. Completely different than getting the wrong nuance with the foundation. Just be careful with your favorite white blouse, it can rub off.
The consistency is very pleasant, not too heavy and easy to spread. Even after hours, the skin still feels cared for and surprisingly soft. And that although I only applied the cream over some rose water. Very important for my combination skin: no oily or sticky feeling. Conclusion: I love it!
