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Makeup Wars – Best Cruelty-Free Sunscreens

ByCordelia

 Best Cruelty Free Moisturizers and Lip Balms and Sunscreens with SPF

 

It’s time for another Makeup Wars! This time we’re talking about our favorite sunscreens. I’m bringing you the best in cruelty-free products with SPF from my personal experiences. I’ve included lip products because so many people forget their lips! I’ve got freckles on my lip line from not knowing about it until too late.

1. PCA Skin Weightless Protection SPF 45 $24.49 for 1.7 oz.
This broad spectrum sunscreen provides UVA/UVB protection with the technology of ultra-sheer zinc oxide and a blend of additional sunscreen ingredients. It also contains the important antioxidants silybin, also known as milk thistle, and caffeine. Its unique quick-absorbing and light finish makes Weightless Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 45 ideal for patients with oily or breakout-prone skin and those who dislike the feel of traditional sunscreen products.

  • * Zinc Oxide – provides broad spectrum UV protection by reflecting, scattering and absorbing UV rays.
    * Octinoxate – absorbs and filters UV rays.
    * Silybin – is an antioxidant.
    * Caffeine – is an important antioxidant.

What I love about it – even if I sweat profusely outside and I’m only wearing this, no makeup, it doesn’t burn my eyes. Sometimes moisturizers with SPF will burn around my sensitive inner corners of my eyes. This is my absolute favorite sunscreen right now and I’m so glad that I took a chance and purchased it after trying my skincare sampler from Cameo Salon.

2. Supergoop! Antioxidant – Infused Sunscreen Day Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ $37 for 2.4 oz.
Protect your face from harmful UVA and UVB rays with this sunscreen cream, featuring the super antioxidant, anti-inflammatory olive oil polyphenols combined with pomegranate and green tea extracts, infused into a hypoallergenic mineral SPF that will not irritate the skin. It provides 80 minutes of water resistance and a powerful layer of protection against UV radiation and environmental damage, leaving behind nothing but a shine-free, healthy, and protected face.

  • * Protects against broad-spectrum UVA, UVB, and IRA rays
  • * The hypoallergenic, mineral-based SPF formula will not irritate even the most sensitive skin types
  • * Provides anti-inflammatory benefits, reducing redness and irritation from Rosacea
  • * Improves skin elasticity
  • * Withstands water for a full 80 minutes of active sun protection
  • * Free of oxybenzone*, parabens, and fragrances

What I love about this is that it’s specifically formulated for rosacea skin types. It’s my second favorite right now. My aesthetician has remarked that it is very difficult to remove it from my skin / pores, which is both a blessing and a curse. It gives me a smooth surface for foundation, and it sticks around to help protect me from the sun. It doesn’t break me out, but to really make sure I remove it all I have to deep clean my face with the Clarisonic more often than I’d like. It never burns or irritates my skin in any way. I’ve repurchased this a few times and I will continue to use it. Love this brand!

3. Supergoop! Lip Balm SPF 30 $8.50 .5 fl. oz.
Hydrate, repair, protect, and soothe your lips with the cooling, regenerative powers of spearmint leaf.

  • * Protects against broad-spectrum UVA and UVB rays
  • * Cools, calms, soothes, and protects dry or chapped lips
  • * Hydrates to keep your lips continuously moisturized
  • * Makes lips look beautiful and healthy with a light, sheer shimmer
  • * Free of oxybenzone*, parabens, and fragrances
  • * Spearmint leaf oils and menthol naturally cool and freshen breath
  • * Shea butter provides deep, long-lasting hydration

I love these and they feel ultra soothing on the lips. It comes in spearmint and acaiberry. I originally purchased the spearmint but recently purchased the acai berry. The acai berry flavor gives a sheer pink tint, too.

4. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 $22.50 for .15 oz
Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 blends reparative oils and waxes with real sugar, a natural humectant, for delectable and dependable moisture. Sweet and tart black currant oil, rich in plumping essential fatty acids, cushions the lips while antioxidant grapeseed polyphenols and vitamins A, C, and E provide protection from wrinkle-causing free radicals. It also provides essential, year-round protection from damaging UV rays.

  • * Sugar: A natural humectant, prevents moisture loss.
  • * Blend of Oils including Meadowfoam Seed, Black Currant Seed, Avocado, and Jojoba: This superior blend nourishes and deeply moisturizes dry areas.
  • * Grapeseed Polyphenols: Protect, smooth, and soften.
  • * Avobenzone and Octinoxate: Provide SPF 15 UVA/UVB sun protection.

I have purchased this is Coral and Rose. I also purchased the Lip therapy treatment. It’s another ultra moisturizing lip balm with SPF. I wish I’d been using these since I was a child! I have freckles near my lip line because of not having lip products with SPF. These are beautiful and soothing on the lips. I would have never tried this if I hadn’t received one as my free birthday gift from Sephora. Such a great product line!

5. Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 $32 for 2 fl. oz.
Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 is your skin’s first defense against premature aging. This natural formula physically deflects UVA rays that can cause up to 80 percent of premature aging. It also shields from the harmful UVB rays that we encounter on sunny days or at the beach. Unlike traditional sunscreens, this natural formula is infused with Josie’s signature ingredient, Argan Oil, which repairs and reverses damage caused by the sun, fights sign of aging, and improves skintone for a radiant, renewed complexion. This sunscreen is extra mild and fast absorbing and it can also double as a great makeup primer. Argan Daily Moisturizer is lightweight, paba free, and suitable for all skin types.

  • * Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide: Full spectrum sun Protection against UVA/UVB rays.
  • * Argan Oil: Replenishes and repairs skin cells.
  • * Pomegranate Oil: Full of antioxidants which improve elasticity and tone of skin.
  • * Jojoba Oil: Conditions the skin.

I love that this absorbs quickly and smells a bit like cherries. It’s soothing on my skin. I’m so happy that I was introduced to the Josie Maran brand and I think that this is a great moisturizer choice.

6. LAVANILA The Healthy Sun Screen SPF 40 Face Cream $28 for 1.8 fl. oz.
This residue-free, smooth-gliding, non-comedogenic formula uses a new generation of mineral sunscreens for broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Infused with youth-promoting antioxidants, botanicals, and amino acids, this ultra-sheer formula delivers daily protection and nourishment. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide deliver high-level UV filters to keep fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots at bay.

  • * Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide: Act as natural physical barriers to protect against the suns harmful UVA/UVB rays.
  • * Green Tea Extract: Packed with skin nourishing antioxidants.
  • * Hyaluronic Acid: Delivers instant hydration to replenish and condition skin.
  • * 100% aware – their natural standards ensure no harsh chemicals are released into the environment. Their packaging is 100% recyclable and they prioritize packaging based on reducing carbon footprints. Through charitable partnerships, they support conservation and perservation.

I’ve repurchased this many times. This tends to be what I reach for in the Winter months when my skin is dryer these days. It’s a great sunscreen, but with the way my skin has changed from my rosacea meds, it’s a bit too greasy sometimes.

7. Supergoop! Endless Summer Pump of Everyday UV Face & Body Lotion – SPF 30+ $38.61 for 18 fl. oz.
The family’s most trusted everyday, everywhere cream, now in a jumbo-sized, easy-to-use pump for bottomless broad-spectrum protection.
  • * Protects from complete spectrum of UVA and UVB rays
  • * Provides additional free radical protection triggered by sunlight, tobacco smoke, and smog
  • * Delivers weightless, oil-free hydration
  • * Withstands water for a full 80 minutes of active sun protection
  • * TSA approved for carry-on air travel
  • * Free of oxybenzone*, parabens, and fragrances
  • * Parsol 1789 makes superior UV protection with an ultra lightweight formula possible
  • * Vitamin E provides natural and continuous free radical damage protection

I have not yet purchased this one but I’m thinking about it because I apply sunscreen daily all over my body so that when I go out for walks so that I don’t burn in the brutal Florida sun. I love that it’s HUGE! It really is family size, so it’s a great investment in a quality sunscreen.

8. Supergoop! Antioxidant-Infused Sunscreen Mist With Vitamin C SPF 50 $19 for 6 fl. oz.
The revolutionary, healthy sunscreen mist with complete broad-spectrum protection and easy peasy application.

  • *  Provides complete broad-spectrum protection for a full 80 minutes in water, with 35% less alcohol than other leading sunscreen sprays
  • *  100% oxybenzone-free*, unlike most leading sunscreen sprays; also free of parabens and fragrances
  • *  Delivers antioxidant-fueled hydration that nourishes and moisturizes
  • *  Will never dry you out or leave an oily residue
  • *  Instantly goes to work upon application
  • * A leak-proof travel twist lock for easy closure
  • * Our special patent-pending Vitamin C formula penetrates the skin immediately and goes right to work upon application
  • * Vitamin C enriches the skin with a more radiant, healthy appearance, preventing free radical and environmental damage
  • * 100% natural oils provide a fresh and light citrus scent

I have not yet purchased this one to try it but I REALLY REALLY want to. I love using spray on sunscreen for arms, legs, neck, and feet, but I didn’t know of any cruelty-free ones until I saw this one when I was writing this post. Since Supergoop! is cruelty-free I want to try it and support them.

These are my 8 choices for the Best Cruelty-Free Sunscreens for your face, body and lips.

What are your must have sunscreens? Are there any cruelty-free brands that I need to check out? How do you prefer to apply sunscreen to your body?



 

Cordelia Frost is the creative force behind Phyrra, a treasure trove for cruelty-free indie and goth makeup enthusiasts. She's the author of the game-changing 'Hooded Eyes Makeup Manual' a must-read for hooded eyes makeup.

Cordelia's world is a kaleidoscope of alternative beauty, gothic fashion, and life-enhancing tips, making every visit to Phyrra a journey into a more colorful and inspired self.

46 Comments

  1. Does anyone like Sun Bum? States they are cruelty free and doesn’t look like China is a country they sell in…Plus, it’s affordable, especially to wear year round.

  2. I could quite possibly be wrong but the latest update is that Fresh is no longer cruelty free. Again, I might be wrong but I am pretty sure that is something that I have seen on cruelty-free kitty’s site and the ethical elephant.

  3. I keep coming back to this post as I’m in need of a new favourite sunscreen (physical) now that I’ve finished my Josie Maran. She has discontinued it and the new SPF 47 version isn’t getting great reviews. Have you had a chance to try it?

    I’ve been using Paula’s Choice sunscreens in the interim (RESIST Super-Light SPF 30; Hydralight SPF 30) but they seem to be drying out my skin (especially the RESIST one) and I’d prefer something with higher SPF. I want to try Supergoop! and LaVanila but I can’t get them in stores here. I’m not enthused about ordering them online — I’m paranoid they will be exposed to high heat in transit, which will break down the sunscreen chemicals.

    2. Definitely try the Supergoop! Maybe from Beauty.com? Both the Supergoop and LaVanila are more moisturizing. Alternately try using the Paula’s Choice RESIST Super Antioxidant Serum under the Paula’s Choice RESIST SPF. I haven’t tried the new Josie Maran but I did like the old one.

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  5. The Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer SPF40 is my favourite for daily wear. I’m lucky my sister brought it back from the States for me.

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  8. I’m looking for a spray-on that doesn’t smell awful and isn’t sticky. I may have to try this one! If anyone else has ideas I’d love to hear them! Thanks for the review!

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  10. How long does one of the tubes of facial sunscreen last you, on average?  I’m always looking for the best balance of quality and quantity versus cost.

  12. Fresh again, I really need to add Petal to my collection. Supergoop just arrived on my doorstep so now I’m even more anxious to tty it!

  13. There is more from Fresh again! I love Sugar Rose, so need to try the tinted ones!

  14. I have major issues with the sun, I’m extremely sun sensitive and burn instantly with very little exposure. This issue started a couple of years ago so I went on a major quest for the best sunblock. I’m also an aesthetician so I had some training to start with on ingredients and access to professional products.
    After a whole lot of research I found my all-time favorite. I’m the kinda girl that likes to switch it up and try new things, so sticking with one product is major for me.  I’ve been using Solarex MD but when I’m done with my huge liter bottle (and I’m getting close) I’m going to go with Solrx. They are both made by the same company, just different packaging. These are the only products that do NOT have to be reapplied for 8 hours (unless you wipe them off) even in water! (You can check out the 8 hour testing study at their site http://www.solrx.com ) They are also paraben and paba free and ecofriendly.  It stays put, makes a great base for your makeup (oil free and hypoallergenic) and doesn’t run into your eyes. There are both lotion and spray formulations (I myself prefer the matte zinc formula). I wear it year round, any time I’m going to be outside the house. It’s great to be able to put it on in the morning, do my makeup, and not have to reapply and be covered! I think anyone who is checking out sunscreens and sunblocks should definitely check them out. I’ve never found anything comparable. (I promise I’m not affiliated with this company in any way, I’m just absolutely in love with their products!) Solrx- http://www.solrx.com Solarex MD- http://www.solarexmd.com

  15. Nice roundup! I’ve been thinking about trying that Josie Maran Argan Moisturizer with the SPF. Need to put it on my list!

  16. I like Supergoop!. I have the lip balm in my purse and one in my beach bag too.

  17. The Supergoop! products sound amazing!!! I figured you would mention your fave La Vanilla sunscreen! 🙂

  19. I use Paula’s choice Resist Hand Cream w/ SPF 30 on my face and down to my neck and chest. I found her resist daytime moisturizer w/ SPF was way too heavy, even for my dry areas, and her team and many customers recommend the hand cream for the face too. For my body and my kids’ faces and bodies, I use Badger’s SPF 34 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen. I love it as well as all of their product I’ve tried–cruelty free, super natural, very high quality, and they work amazingly well!

    1. MamaElf Paula’s Choice is a great brand and I should have included them in this list! I didn’t include them only because they don’t have an SPF 40-45 that I’ve used.

  20. Aw, boo. Supergoop is not sold in Canada. I have the sugar lip treatments (also a Sephora birthday gift!), but I’ll have to give them away, because even though they felt awesome on my lips, the sunscreen ingredient in them gives me contact dermatitis.

    For a long time, the only sunscreen I could use that didn’t cause CD was NewCo SPF15. When my local healthfood store stopped carrying it, I explored other brands and now I use Green Beaver SPF30. Works great, and I don’t really feel that I need one with a higher rating, as it would probably make me lazy to reapply. I have a medical condition that makes me sun sensitive, so I’m really religious about slathering it on, and wearing old-lady solar shields on top of my glasses. I haven’t gotten sunburned in over 20 years.

      1. Phyrra Because of how severe my CD gets (it can feel and look like a 2nd degree burn when it’s really bad), I’m wary of purchasing any sunscreen that I can’t patch test first. 
        But! the ingredients list seems pretty similar to what’s in my existing sunscreen, so maybe I’ll try some out and pick some up at Sephora when I’m on vacation in the US. 🙂

  21. Great post! Sun protection is so important, and since I also have rosacea, it’s been tricky to find a good facial sunscreen that also doesn’t irritate my skin. What I’ve been using i the winter months is Badger SPF 16 Damascus Rose Face Sunscreen Lotion, as I live up north and don’t spend lots of time outside to warrant a higher SPF then. I’m just about to switch over and try  their new SPF 30 Aloe Sunscreen Lotion for the summer. I can highly recommend their products — they are cruelty-free and use a good number of certified organic ingredients. Their Damascus Rose Antioxidant Face Oil is amazing, and I’ve used their sunscreens and balms for a couple of years now.
    I have a quick question, though — how were you able to find out about Fresh being cruelty-free? When I decided to use only CF products, I stopped using them (my favorite perfume is a Fresh product) because I couldn’t ascertain for sure that they were CF. It made me very sad, so if you have information to the contrary, it would be lovely.
    Thank you so much for the awesome information!

    1. Sarsie I checked resources online, including Paula’s Choice’s website to see if they were cruelty-free.

      1. Phyrra Sarsie Thanks for letting me know! I think I’m going to investigate further. I just went back to the Fresh website and there’s no statement at all about animal testing, which tends to not be a good sign, so I think I’ll follow up with them directly now that it’s been a couple of years. I would be psyched to be able to wear my favorite scent again.

        1. Phyrra Just following up — I sent Fresh an email about 10 days ago, asking them about their animal testing policy/practices, and have yet to hear back from them. I checked their Facebook page, and it seems like they have a very sporadic presence there, so I just went ahead and emailed them a second time. If I don’t hear back from them early next week, I’ll give them a call! I’ve just heard conflicting things about their CF status, so it would be nice to get it straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

        2. Sarsie Thank you for the heads up, definitely let me know. I know Paula’s Choice lists them as CF and they check with NAVS. Multiple places are listing them as CF. If they’re not, I’ll be heartbroken, but at least I have Supergoop! They’re CF!

        3. Phyrra Sarsie OK, another update. I didn’t hear back from them from either of my 2 emails, and I totally lost track of time and just remembered to try and call them today. It’s been about 3 weeks since my first email and about 2 weeks since my second. I spoke to a really nice woman on the phone who took down my information but couldn’t actually tell me what their cruelty-free status was until she’d checked with their product development team. She did take down my exact questions and said she wanted to be sure to answer them accurately, so I’m hoping that I will hear back from them relatively soon. I’m hoping you won’t have to be heartbroken!

        5. Phyrra Sarsie Sigh, I have nothing to report. Fresh has not responded to my two emails or phone message. I’ve just sent them a third email, but this is not looking good. At this point, I’m inclined to believe that they have probably changed their stance on animal testing. They used to have a statement on their site about not testing on animals, and that statement is no longer there. All the references I can find about them being cruelty-free are a bit older and possibly not up-to-date. Honestly, at this point, I’m so frustrated with them for their terrible customer service that I don’t think I would purchase from them even if they did turn out to be cruelty-free. I’m not sure if they aren’t responding because I’m not a blogger or what, but it’s really not cool. I am simply asking them questions that they can respond with a “yes” or “no” to. It should not be this hard. 
          I’m bummed because I would totally buy buckets of my favorite perfume from them again if they confirmed they were cruelty-free. They also began as a local company to me, and I love supporting local companies big and small. At this point, for lip protection I will be using Supergoop or Badger. 🙁

  22. Another Supergoop fan. I didn’t know they made so many but now that I do, I’m picking more up. And you ladies are making me feel bad that I’m not careful about a specific lip balm. I even have one in my purse and forgot all about mentioning it.

  23. I just purchased CeraVe sunscreens for face and for body – both SPF 50. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m hoping I love them. I like that they are easy for me to find in my rural area and don’t have to order them online.

  25. I haven’t really tried Supergoop before, but it’s been mentioned a lot around me lately!  I’ll have to try it.

  26. I like the fact that the supergoop stays on so well, that’s definitely something I need to look into.  I worry so much about keeping the kids protected I forget to re-apply to myself sometimes!

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