Sorry I have been MIA for a few days, Bare Beauties!  I am soaking up what I think will be my final longer-than-a-three-day-weekend vacation this summer at my in-laws’ cottage in Harbor Springs, MI.  It is glorious.  This is the view from the front porch.

All summer I have been sampling various Clean sunscreens, in search of “the one”.  It is like my holy grail.  If only John Masters Organics made theirs in a large bottle, my quest would be over, but alas, they do not.  Even if they did, it would probably be upwards of $100.  Sigh.  (Note: it is the BEST.  It doesn’t cause breakouts and I use it on my face and chest religiously.)

I first wrote about the importance of using Clean sunscreen here.  Of the dozens of Clean sunscreens I have tried over the last few months, there are three clear winners:

JUICE BEAUTY SPF 30 SPORT

Juice Beauty makes great Clean products that are effective and widely available.  This sport sunscreen is fab; it is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes and blocks both UVA and UVB rays.  It is extremely moisturizing and absorbs easily without leaving behind a white residue that so many Clean, zinc-based sunscreens do.  And it smells amazing!!!  Cost: about $16 for 3.75 oz.  Purchase it here or at your local Ulta.

Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 20%.  Inactive Ingredients: Organic juices of aloe barbadensis (organic aloe juice)*, pyrus malus (organic apple juice)*, vitis vinifera (organic white grape juice)*, cocos nucifera (organic coconut oil)*, caprylic/capric triglycerides, sorbitan stearate, ricinus communis (castor seed oil), hydrogenated methyl abietate, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, magnesium sulfate, helianthus annuus (organic sunflower seed oil)*, simmondsia chinensis(organic jojoba seed oil)*, tocopherol (Vitamin E), magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (Vitamin C), citrus limonum (lemon extract), iron oxides, phenethyl alcohol, ethylhexylglycerin, citrus reticulata (mandarin) & citrus aurantium (petitgrain) pure essential oils  * = Certified organic ingredient

COOLA PLANT UV BODY SPF 30

You have to be very careful when shopping for Coola sunscreen because they make many versions that are not even close to Clean, even though they say “organic” on the front of the label.  In my opinion, this is the only type they make that is safe to buy and use.  It is made with 70% organic ingredients and it is preservative-free.  This formula was developed with the naturally protective plant cells of the Buddleja Davidii stems and the Lilac Leaf, which have been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and Beet Root and Cordyceps Mushroom Extracts, which can help protect the skin and defend against premature aging.  It slathers on and absorbs easily, leaving little to no white residue, which is so rare with zinc-based formulas.  Cost: about $42 for 3 oz.  Purchase it here.

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide (Sunscreen) 12.6% Inactive Ingredients: Beeswax (ORGANIC), Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Buddleja Davidii Meristem Cell Culture, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii (ORGANIC Shea Butter), Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (ORGANIC Orange) Fruit Water, Cocos Nucifera (ORGANIC Coconut) Oil, Cordyceps Sinensis Extract, Cucumis Sativus (ORGANIC Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin (ORGANIC), Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Linum Usitatissimum (ORGANIC Linseed) Seed Oil, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Maltodextrin, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Oryzanol, Phospholipids, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Propanediol, Sodium Gluconate, Syringa Vulgaris (Lilac) Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Tocopherol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Water, Xanthan Gum.

THE ORGANIC PHARMACY CELLULAR PROTECTION SUN CREAM SPF 18

This one might be my favorite.  It figures; it’s the most expensive!  The Organic Pharmacy is an excellent company, but it is difficult to find in the States.  Luckily, they have a website, a store in Beverly Hills, and Ayla just started carrying them as well.  This sunscreen is extremely moisturizing; it feels like it is literally sealing in moisture as you apply it.  My good friend, Harriet, loved it for her face, neck and chest, as she has drier skin.  However, I have oily skin, and I love it, too.  It leaves absolutely no white residue, either!  Score!  It is also available in SPF 30.  Cost: about $65 for 3.3 oz.  Purchase it here.

Ingredients: Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis), Rose Hip (Rosa Canina) Oil, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), Sucrose Laurate , Sweet Orange (Citrus Aurantium Dulcis), Titanium Dioxide, Vitamin E (Tocopherol) , Aqua (Water) , Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol , Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride , Zinc Oxide, Soybean Sterols (Glycine Soya), Glycerin (vegetable), Glyceryl Stearate, Honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica), Lecithin,Marigold (Calendula Officinalis) Extract, Sweet Almond (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis)

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