Summer Fun in the Sun–-Au-Naturale

This sort of information has us here at Eco18 looking for some reliable, all-natural protection from the sun this summer. As we pack up our beach bags, here are a few sunblocks that we found offer the utmost protection from the sun, without the harmful ingredients.

1. Badger Sunscreen – Badger has a whole line dedicated to sun-safety, from face and body, to baby sunscreen, to lip balm with SPF. You can even get an SPF + bug repellent, providing two of your summer needs in one. They offer SPF 15 or 30 and there is even Bali Balm, an after sun balm to help keep you moisturized. One tip is to look for it at Whole Foods instead of purchasing from the website, as it is a couple bucks cheaper. www.badgerbalm.com

2. Mexitan – Mexitan is an all-natural sun protector that, while they may not have the best website, has gotten some rave reviews from bloggers online. It too is chemical-free and you have the option between SPF 15, 30 and 50…or if you really want to live on the edge, a dark tanning oil sans SPF. While all of the natural sunscreens are comparable in price, it seems you can get a bit more bang for your buck with Mexitan, as they offer 8oz bottles, compared to other brands that offer 4oz. www.mexitan.com

3. Kiss My Face – This popular line of body and hygiene products has a full line dedicated to your sun needs. With a big emphasis on being paraben-free, they offer SPF 18, 30 and 50, and of course have options for your face and neck, lips and body. They offer a duo of Oat Protein and Oat Beta Glucan to help reduce irritation and fight against free-radicals. www.kissmyface.com

4. Alba Bontanica – This is another great line that will leave you resting easy in the sun, knowing it is all-natural. They offer SPF 30 and 45 (as well as a lip balm with SPF 25). In order to meet a variety of needs, they offer face, sport, kids and lavender and unscented options. And if you’re looking to get some color while avoiding the sun all together, you can try their sunless tanner. www.albabotanica.com

5.  Aubrey Organics – Aubrey offers safe, natural sun protection that they promote for healthy skin year-round. The line offers a protective barrier to keep UVA and UVB rays from penetrating the skin. Products come in SPF 15 and 30 and are sure to keep even the most active people protected in the sun. www.aubrey-organics.com

The good news is most of the above listed are similar in price to the traditional sun protection on the market that isn’t natural. One key thing we want to point out about finding all-natural sunscreens is to check the labels and investigate if you aren’t sure what an ingredient is. We found that our local Duane Reade didn’t actually sell any all-natural SPFs–even though there were a couple of products on the shelves that claim to be natural, they still had harmful chemicals as an active ingredient. Also we wanted to note that the FDA has recently released new regulations on sunscreen. One new regulation includes that sunscreens will no longer be labeled as “waterproof”, as none of them truly are. Also, the highest grade of SPF will be “50+”, as it has been shown anything labeled higher than 50 is no more affective. These changes won’t go into effect until 2012, but they’re good to keep in mind for this summer.