Natural Sun Screen - A Growing Body of Evidence

We are frequently asked by our customers about natural sun protection. Customers seek products which offer an effective, safe alternative to traditional, high SPF sun-screen products which frequently contain ingredients cited as potentially endocrine disrupting or damaging to the environment.

To provide protection from sun’s harmful rays, an ingredient needs to either (or both) 

• Scatter or block harmful rays to prevent them reaching the skin
• Absorb harmful rays before they reach the skin

Ingredients which can provide long term, evidenced based, high levels of sun protection (via the above mechanisms) and can confidently display high SPF certifications are, as we currently stand, not natural. These include Oxybenzone, avo benzone, octinoxate and homosalate, each of which are surrounded by concerns associated with endocrine disruption and other concerns associated with long term absorption via the skin.

There is however, a growing (although not yet conclusively proven) body of evidence surrounding natural alternatives, many of which we have at Cosy Cottage started to incorporate into our products. These fall into the above two protection mechanism categories as follows:

Natural Ingredients which scatter harmful UV rays

These are mineral ingredients which occur in nature as rocks or components of sand. Non-nano forms reduce the risk of long term absorption via the skin. 

• Non-nano zinc oxide
• Non-nano titanium dioxide

Ingredients which absorb harmful UV rays

These are typically dark coloured oils and butters – providing mild to moderate UV protection

• Red raspberry seed
• Carrot seed oil
• Sweet orange oil
• Rosehip Oil

Our Concludion

For the time being until the body of evidence is fully developed, we recommend that customers continue to use these natural sun protection options alongside and to complement SPF certified products rather than swapping immediately and entirely to the natural alternatives.

Positive news is though, that research is continuing and we are hopeful that in future, viable, fully certified, natural sun protection products can be made available.