Protecting your skin from the sun with a good quality vegan & cruelty free sunscreen is an absolute must, no matter what colour your skin tone may be. Especially if you consider 86% of cancers are preventable and sun damage is the leading cause of premature skin ageing.
Sunscreen isn’t just for beach days, it’s an everyday essential that can keep you healthy and looking younger, but this shouldn’t come at the expense of the planet or animals.
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Unfortunately, many well-known cruelty free sunscreen brands contain toxins and other ingredients that can damage your health as well as marine life. That’s why we’d always recommend looking out for cruelty-free, natural, vegan and reef-safe or more accurately reef-friendly sunscreen. That way you can be kind to yourself, the planet and our beautiful furry friends. We’ve added some notes around reef-friendly sunscreen at the bottom of the post, you can skip down with this link. Let’s have a look at the best vegan & cruelty free sunscreens.
1. Ren Skincare: Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30
Ethics and Info | Paraben-free, Recycled Plastic Packaging, Vegan, Reef-friendly, Cruelty-free sunscreen
Say hello to the sunshine and goodbye to the nasty after-effects with Ren’s Clean Screen Mineral, reef-friendly Sunscreen.
It’s a no chemicals, no shine formula that protects your skin and the planet. Clean Screen offers UVA/UVB and Blue Light protection with a dash of antioxidants. The main sunscreen ingredient is 22% non-nano, naturally derived Zinc Oxide that is gentle enough for daily use, won’t clog your pores and won’t irritate sensitive skin.
This vegan sunscreen will deliver a matt finish without the typical white residue that some sunscreens can leave behind. Apply under your foundation along with your favourite moisturiser and you’re good to go. For beautifully glowing skin add an AHA product into your routine.
2. Green People Edelweiss Sun Cream with Tan Accelerator
Ethics and Info | Paraben-free, 86% Organically Certified Ingredients, Fairtrade, Sugar cane PE Recyclable Packaging, Vegan, Reef-friendly, Cruelty-Free
Green People’s Edelweiss Sun Cream SPF 15 offers three layers of natural sun protection with UV filters, antioxidants and a suntan accelerator. It delivers effective, natural broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection all wrapped up in plant-based and fully recyclable packaging.
It’s a great product for those with sensitive skin & those who get prickly heat i.e heat rashes. Protect yourself against UV damage while increasing collagen production with this antioxidant containing sun cream. The natural tan accelerator helps you tan 28% faster, giving you a beautiful summer glow with less risk!
This is deliciously smelling sun cream, light enough for everyday wear.
3. Supergoop PLAY Body Mousse Vegan Sunscreen with Blue Sea Kale – SPF 50
Ethics and Info | Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Reef Friendly, Paraben-Free, Free of Synthetic Ingredients
Supergoop delivers vegan and cruelty free sunscreen innovation at its best. This is a lightweight, whipped and antioxidant-rich mousse. It’s an amazing body mouse with an impressive SPF 50 sun protection.
With its fun texture and consistency, even the little ones will enjoy applying it by the pool, on the beach or in the garden. It includes shea butter, antioxidant-packed blue sea kale and a refreshing dash of cucumber and citrus for a beautifully natural fragrance. To top it all off it comes in environmentally considerate packaging, i.e. no non-recyclable plastic tube to be found here!
Supergoop has been a leader in feel-good and clean, cruelty free sunscreen since 2007, proudly creating SPFs without oxybenzone, making it reef friendly.
5. Suntegrity 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizing Face Sunscreen
Ethics and Info | Gluten-free, Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Soy Free, Paraben-Free, Reef Friendly
Suntegrity’s 5-in-1 tinted face vegan & cruelty free sunscreen is a multi-use sheer facial sunscreen, great for those days when you don’t feel like using foundation.
It’s good for all skin types including dry, mature and sensitive skin. We love that it contains certified organic aloe vera, jojoba, pomegranate, green tea and cucumber. It gives you an extra boost with a broad spectrum SPF30 protection against UVA and UVB rays. Being a mineral-based unscreen it leaves a dewy finish as you’d expect.
This sunscreen was on EWG’s 2019 “Best Moisturizer with SPF” list and the company has been awarded “Champion” status by the EWG Campaign for Safe cosmetics. Suntegrity uses only non-toxic preservatives and non-nano size zinc oxide that delivers a good level of sun protection. Antioxidants and amino acids enhance protection while helping skin repair.
6. Face Factory Amil-C Whip M5 SPF 20
Ethics and Info | Paraben-free, Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Toxin Free
Face Factory’s mouse moisturiser is light, airy and absorbs into the skin without much effort thanks to their latest formulation technology.
Amil-C SPF 20 uses Tinosorb® S to give broad-spectrum sun protection, helping to reduce sun damage and sun-induced photoaging. It’s a highly concentrated facial sunscreen, which means you only need a small amount daily.
Dual-action vitamin C aids in balancing skin tone. reducing redness and pore size. Sodium ascorbyl phosphate helps to fight acne-causing bacteria, making it a great option for acne-prone skin. It’s a punchy little container, lightly scented with bergamot or unscented. Rich in omega acids that will deliver all-day hydration.
7. Juice Beauty SPF 30 Sport Vegan Sunscreen
Ethics and Info | Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Reef Friendly, Paraben-free, Without Synthetic Fragrances or Artificial Dyes
Juice Beauty’s sunscreen starts with an organic botanical juice base made with jojoba, grape seed, shea and citrus juices. It’s a powerful age-defying and blemish busting formula that gets the job done. Their products are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that will feed your skin.
Their sport sunscreen is water-resistant, reef-friendly and mineral-based. It’s broad-spectrum sun protection for great days spent in the sun playing sports and having fun! As an SPF-30 it provides a good level of protection for an active lifestyle.
As it’s suitable for all skin types and all ages, it’s a good overall sunscreen for children, teens and adults. Safeguard your skin and the environment against damage and toxins.
8. Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50
Ethics and Info | Hypoallergenic, Gluten and Cruelty and Reef-Friendly
Sun Bum’s Mineral SPF 50 is a zinc-based mineral sunscreen that sits on top of your skin to block the sun, leaving a mat finish with broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
This sunscreen is chemical-free and lightweight so it doesn’t sit or feel heavy on your skin. We love that it has an SPF50, which makes it great for fair skin and children. A slight white tint is normal with mineral sunscreens as the minerals shouldn’t absorb into the skin.
Sun Bum is made for beach bums and comes straight out of California, USA.
9. TotLogic Natural Mineral Cruelty-Free Sunscreen For Kids SPF 30
Ethics and Info | Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Reef Friendly, Natural, Paraben-Free, No Artificial Fragrances or Dyes
TotLogic is a mineral-based sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection for adults and children alike. It’s hypoallergenic and gentle, containing 20% non-nano and natural zinc oxide, making it safe enough for sensitive young skin. Use on ages 6 months and up.
Protect your whole family against the sun and toxins with this no.1 rated sunscreen for EWG safety. It’s eco friendly, biodegradable, non-comedogenic, sweat and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes.
It’s a gentle non-irritating sunblock that is rich in antioxidants and botanicals. Infused with white tea, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, arnica, camomile and lavender.
10. Dirty Hippie Coconut Sunscreen Balm
Ethics and Info | Vegan, Cruelty-Free, Reef Friendly, Natural, Paraben-Free, Toxin Free
Dirty Hippie contains sun-blocking all-natural, broad spectrum Zinc Oxide powder along with organic and fairtrade Coconut, Carrot Seed and Rasberry oil. It’s an approximate SPF 30 sunscreen that uses non-micronised Zinc powder that will not penetrate your lower dermis or enter the bloodstream. Dirty Hippie does not test on animals for an official SPF factor.
This is a creamy yet non-greasy formula that goes on white then dries off to near clear. It’s a sweet-smelling, light vegan sunscreen with steam distilled non-photo toxic essential oils.
Dirty Hippie is an Australian Zero Waste and natural skincare brand, developed to look after you and the environment. We’ve featured their products in both our zero waste deodorant and zero waste makeup posts. It’s great for people with sensitive skin and comes in a bug repellent blend to double up protection against pesky mosquitoes.
A Note on Reef Friendly Sunscreen Ingredients
Before you pack your ethical swimwear and vegan sunscreen ready for a great time at the beach it’s important to note that certain ingredients can be damaging to marine life. So to keep the ocean inhabitants happy and healthy it’s key to find an SPF sunscreen that uses physical UVA and UVB filters rather than chemical ones.
Unfortunately, the term reef safe isn’t regulated so you can’t always fully trust the product label. In this case, it’s best to check the label. Avoid any sunscreens and personal products that contain the ingredients below, even if you’re not particularly going for a dip in the ocean as these ingredients can still end up in our waterways. Here is the list of damaging ingredients to avoid:
Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Homosalate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, PABA, Parabens, Triclosan, nanoparticles or “nano-sized” zinc or titanium (it should explicitly say “micro-sized” or “non-nano”), microplastic, such as “exfoliating beads”
