Skin cancer (including melanoma and non-melanoma) has fast become one of the most common and lethal cancers known to man [1]. As a result, we have seen a huge increase in the emphasis placed on sun safety, combined with a massive jump in awareness around the prevention of skin cancer.
Long gone are the days of coating ourselves in olive oil and basking in the sun, attempting to get that golden glow – in fact, most of us physically cringe at the mere thought of what past generations did to tan themselves up.
- Organic Ingredients
- Hand Crafted
- Super High Quality
- Solid Reputation
- High Quality
- Blend of Skin Butters
- Effective
- Good Quality
- Affordable
That’s the beauty of hindsight I guess…
With this increase in sun safety has come an investment into a host of new skin protection products, each of which aim to reduce the impact of sun cancer and protect our skin from those harmful UV rays.
Which actually brings us to the topic of today’s article, zinc oxide sunscreen.
What Is Zinc Oxide Sunscreen?
For centuries zinc has been considered a natural remedy, where it was often used to treat skin burns and assist in the healing of open wounds.
Interestingly, recent research has suggested that our ancestors weren’t too far from the truth, and that this amazing mineral does indeed have a positive impact on our skin health and wound healing, while also offering us with a number of other uses [2].
And one such use involves offering us protection from the sun.
While zinc itself is a type of mineral that is found naturally across the world, zinc oxide is a compound that is made by chemically heating zinc and then combining it with oxygen molecules. The two elements are then vaporised and condensed, where they proceed to crystallise and form a fine white powder.
This powder can be placed into a formula, where it sits on top of the skin, protecting it from harmful UV rays [3].
This essentially creates zinc oxide sunscreen.
It is important to note that in a traditional sense, the first zinc oxide sunscreen formulas were quite dense, but as technology advanced they have improved considerably. With this, we are now capable of creating much smaller zinc oxide particles.
This ultimately means that modern day zinc oxide sunscreens offer us with great protection from the sun, but are also very thin and transparent in nature – so much so that they are barely visible when applied to the skin.
As an added bonus, the mineral zinc contains both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties (and subsequently, zinc oxide also exhibits these properties). As such the application of zinc oxide sunscreen can assist in wound healing and improve skin health [2].
So, with this in mind, zinc oxide sunscreens not only offer some of the most comfortable and effective sunscreen on the planet, but are also a great way to our improve skin health and quality.
What Should I Look for in a Zinc Oxide Sunscreen?
Well, first and foremost, a good quality zinc oxide sunscreen should obviously contain zinc oxide.
With this, it is important to note that with recent technological advancements, we now have access to nano sized zinc oxide particles, and they have created quite a bit of disagreement within the health industry.
On a positive note, these nano particles are obviously quite small in nature, and therefore create an almost invisible sunscreen. Although negatively, some people have suggested that these particles are so small that they can block the pores of the skin, causing skin irritation and associated declines in skin quality [3].
As a result, we currently recommend you try and find zinc oxide sunscreens that use non-nano zinc oxide particles, as these are still highly effective at blocking the sun, and run no risk of irritating the skin.
Additionally, we also recommend you try and find sunscreen products that build their base using all natural oils and butters (such as coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil, and shea butter).
These ingredients are completely organic, exhibit anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, contain essential nutrients that nourish the skin, and can further protect the skin from sun damage [4].
Best Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Product Reviews
Taking the above into consideration, you can obviously go out and find a quality sunscreen that ticks all of these boxes. Despite this, we also thought we would also give you some suitable options – in case you really can’t be bothered finding some on your own.
- Organic Ingredients
- Hand Crafted
- Super High Quality
- Solid Reputation
- High Quality
- Blend of Skin Butters
- Effective
- Good Quality
- Affordable
When it comes to top quality organic skincare products, it’s hard to look past pronounce. Known for using high quality organic ingredients and both clean and effective production processes, they are always a great option.
Their zinc oxide sunscreen really ticks all the boxes for us on an individual level. Using non-nano zinc oxide particles in combination with a potent mix of coconut oil, almond oil, shea butter, and beeswax, it truly has everything you could want in a high-quality sunscreen.
It really is hard to look past this excellent option.
Beauty by earth are another company that have built a very solid reputation for producing excellent quality skin care products – and their zinc oxide sunscreen is no different.
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Using a unique combination of zinc oxide, aloe vera, coconut oil, and shea butter, it exhibits potent health boosting properties, while also ensuring the skin is safely protected from harmful UV rays.
This is another fantastic option.
And last but not least we have another top-quality sunscreen from Coconut Joes.
As the brand name suggests, this particular option combines non-nano zinc oxide with both coconut oil and shea butter to create a simple yet effective sunscreen.
As an added bonus, sunscreen is quite affordable, making it a great option for those on a tight budget.
Take Away Message
With recent advancements in technology, zinc oxide sunscreen has quickly become one of the most effective and health positive sun block options on the entire planet. With this in mind, they offer a way to not only protect your skin from the sun, but also boost skin health and quality in a big way.
The products listed in this article provide you with what we believe to be the best three zinc oxide sunscreens available on the market at the moment – each of which offer us with an excellent option.
With this, if you have had experience with any of them we would love to hear about it, so drop us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP.