The 8 Best Clean Sunscreens

Challenges drive change and innovation, says goop’s VP of product development, Akshay Talati. And in the realm of clean mineral sunscreens—those made only with zinc or titanium dioxide to physically block UVA and UVB rays by sitting on top of the skin—what’s changed is that they’re easier than ever to blend seamlessly into skin.

It wasn’t always that way. While chemical sunscreens work by absorbing the sun’s rays in the skin and contain some of the most irritating chemicals used in the beauty industry—including endocrine disruptors and even sun-sensitizing ingredients—they also blend easily. But clean beauty has caught up: “Formulating elegant, all-mineral-based broad-spectrum sunscreens that are SPF 30–plus, with no white cast on any skin tone and without a shiny, pasty, or sticky texture, was difficult,” says Talati. “But better premade dispersions with small and uniform particles, advanced coating tech that allows for transparency, elegant wetting agents for lightweight textures, film formers to enhance sweat and water resistance, and SPF boosters for improved efficacy have made a huge difference.” So we’ve been able to fill the goop shop with clean sunscreens that both meet our standards of safety and apply beautifully. We winnowed this story down to the eight that feel particularly luxurious and go on like a dream. Below, some more details on what made the cut and why.

CHEMICAL VS. MINERAL SUNSCREENS

Chemical sunscreens employ a potent combination of chemicals like oxybenzone, octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate), homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, and avobenzone, many of which are endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are scary because they’re most harmful in small doses, as they mimic the hormones that our bodies create daily and can interfere with everything from our reproductive systems to our metabolism. They’re particularly bad for young ones, whose systems are rapidly developing.

CLEAN SUNSCREENS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Active Ingredients: Mineral sunscreens will list zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide only. Be wary of the term “mineral-based,” which often means zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide has been mixed with chemical sunscreen. The sunscreens in the goop shop are mineral-only.

Water Resistance: A sunscreen can claim to be water-resistant only if it has undergone a 40- or 80-minute test. If water resistance is not stated clearly on the label, the sunscreen will most likely wash or sweat off. Not all the sunscreens in the goop shop are water-resistant.

Broad-Spectrum: This is important, as it means that the sunscreen blocks both UVA and UVB rays. All the sunscreens in the goop shop are broad-spectrum.

Even if the active ingredients are mineral, make sure that the formula is not otherwise loaded with toxic ingredients. Red flags include phthalates, sodium laureth sulfate, fragrance, and anything ending in “-paraben.” Our picks in the goop shop are free of these ingredients.