Top Sunscreens

These screens are solid picks for any beach vacation or summer jaunt. Chemical- and nanoparticle-free, each is effective for at least an hour, though some leave a white residue on skin. Below, we score their absorption on a scale of 0 to 5.

Alba Botanica Fragrance Free Mineral Sunscreen (4 oz, $9.95; albabotanica.com)
Active ingredient: titanium dioxide
SPF: 18
Absorption score: 2

Erbaviva Sunscreen (4 oz, $28; erbaviva.com)
Active ingredient: titanium dioxide
SPF: 15
Absorption score: 2; we loved the fresh herbal scent.

Jason SunBrellas Mineral Based Physical Sunblock (4 oz, $14; jason-natural.com)
Active ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
SPF: 30+
Absorption score: 4

Lavera Family Sun Spray (6.6 oz, $26.50; lavera.com)
Active ingredient: titanium dioxide
SPF: 15
Absorption score: 0; editor’s pick!

Lotus Moon Sage Sun Protective Crème (2 oz, $32; lotusmoon.biz)
Active ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
SPF: 25 Casper Factor After 30 Mins.:
Absorption score: 1

Nature’s Gate Mineral Sunblock (4 oz, $9.49; natures-gate.com)
Active ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
SPF: 20
Absorption score: 4

UV Natural Sunscreen (5.29 oz, $33.50; uvnaturalusa.com)
Active ingredient: zinc oxide
SPF: 30+
Absorption score: 0; this option was still a bit oily after 30 minutes.

1 Article comment

Valerie

6/19/2010 at 11:06 AM

I happen to have Janson sunbrellas. I just read the article about sun screens in your magazine and it has 3 of the troubling ingredients that you mentioned in the article: Oxybenzone, Octisalate and octinoxate. I threw the sunscreet out.

I think I will stick to Bariani Olive Oil!

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