Back in 2013 we began to understand the ingredients in mainstream suncreams and we quickly ditched them. The natural suncream market has grown significantly since then and products are becoming more readily available, even on the high street.
We decided to pick three companies that describe their products as ‘natural’ and and rated them against the trusty UV/Rash top. We spent six weeks in Croatia testing them out. Here’s the results.
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What natural suncreams did we pick?
The three creams we chose were Goddess Garden Organics Kids, Omuci’s Nothing To Hide and Jason Kid’s Natural Sunscreen.
Imogen (who was 8) and Emma used Goddess Garden Organics Kids, Sophie (who was 15) used Omuci’s Nothing To Hide and yes there was a lot of giggling when the boys (Richard and Zach (who was 10)) rubbed Jason (kids suncream) into themselves…
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Where did we buy them from?
I bought all of these from Amazon and I’ll post the links just below.
The only real downside of ordering online, and using my phone, was that I was not able to read all of the ingredients in the creams. As you’ll see, one in particular contains awful chemicals for the skin and I do feel that I shouldn’t recommend this cream at all.
FYI: Benzoates are not safe to be rubbing on children’s delicate bodies and some research suggests Benzoates are endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that alter the normal function of the endocrine system, leading to a variety of health problems such as reproductive impairments and female and male specific cancers.
You can buy the suncreams using these links:
Omuci’s Nothing To Hide, Goddess Garden Organics and Jason Kids
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Ingredients: Goddess Garden Organics
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Ingredients: Omuci’s Nothing To Hide
Aqua (water), Butyrospherum Parkii (shea) butter, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil, Bis-Ethylhexyloxphenol methoxyphenyl Triazine (Bemotrizinol), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated castor oil, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Aloe Narnadensis (Aloe Vera) Flower Extract, Nymphaea Alba (water Lily) Flower Extract, Panthenol.
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Ingredients: Jason Kid’s Natural Sunscreen SPF45
Inactive Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Dimethicone, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Canaga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice(1), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract(1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract(1), Tocopheryl Acetate, Allyl Caproate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Citric Acid, Ethyl Acetate, Gamma-Nonalactone, Isoamyl Acetate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Vanillin, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
(1)Certified Organic Ingredient
Active Ingredient Purpose
Avobenzone 3%
Homosalate 10%
Octocrylene 10%
Octyl Salicylate 5%
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Not all natural suncreams are natural or even good for you! Click To Tweet
So what did we think of them?
The Goddess Garden Organics Kids is rated as a SPF30 and is designed and marketed specifically for kids. It has a mild citrus scent, is thin to touch, easy to apply but it dried quickly, leaving white streaks on the skin. Using too much resulted in a vibrant white shine across the skin and a need to wash your hands after application. We noted on the adults that the cream would get stuck on body hair, especially arms and leave a white dry residue. We reapplied it after being in the sea as it felt easy to wash off and my shoulders started to go red. Instructions recommend re-application after being in the water.
It costs anywhere upwards of £15, is available on Amazon Prime and comes in a 170g tube.
- Scent: 4*
- Application: 3*
- Shine: 2*
- Value for money 4*
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The Omuci’s Nothing To Hide is also rated at a SPF30. It has a soft but flowery scent, a bit like weak shampoo. A little of this delicate cream definitely goes along way. It rubs straight in to the skin with no signs of residue and no shine. It left us with smooth skin and no signs of stickiness. It wore well in the water and under makeup.
It cost £8.95, comes in a 100ml tube and is available on Amazon Prime.
- Application: 5*
- Scent: 4*
- Shine: 5*
- Value for money 4*
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The Jason Kids Suncream actually comes as SPF45 which is SPF15 more than the other two (although the Omuci is available in a SPF50). With a faint banana smell, it rubs into the skin easily with no obvious sign of white residue. However it did leave the skin noticeably shiny. It did well in water but Rich had to re-apply it frequently (he has strange ginger like skin though that burns frequently).
It cost £21.44 and comes in a 113g tube. It is not eligible for Amazon Prime.
- Scent: 5*
- Application: 4*
- Shine: 4*
- Value for money 3*
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Here’s the verdict on the natural suncreams
The clear winner was Omuci’s Nothing To Hide, followed by Jason (however due to the ingredients we shall not recommend this cream) and with the Goddess Garden coming in third.
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We tested 3 natural suncreams for kids in the Croatia summer heat. This is what we thought. Click To Tweet
Omuci’s Nothing To Hide: Some Info
This is a Finnish start-up company and I’m so pleased to announce that they do a range of creams from SPF 15 to 50! All are available from Amazon. Their website is really easy to navigate too (as it’s just one page) and I love they have this description of all of their ingredients they use in the suncreams.
Our Nothing to Hide ingredients
Aqua is water.
Shea butter is a fat extracted from the African Shea tree nut. It is edible. Shea butter has a high level of cinnamic acid which makes it a natural sunscreen. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and moisturizes the skin.
Jojoba oil, from the seeds of a shrub, is unique because it resembles sebum (a substance produced by our skin glands), so it acts as a natural skin conditioner. The E and B vitamins in the Jojoba oil helps soothe sunburn and repairs the skin.
Bemotrizinol, (Marketing name: Tinsorb S or Escalol S) is an organic compound that is added to sunscreens as a broad-spectrum UV absorber, absorbing UVB as well as UVA rays. It is the most effective UV absorber available measured by SPF (sun protection factor). Unlike some other organic sunscreen additives, it shows no estrogenic effects.
Grape seed oil has lots of vitamin E, about twice as much as olive oil. This provides antioxidants for your skin.
Cocoa butter is a edible vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It is normally used to make chocolate. The moisturizing abilities of cocoa butter are recommended for treatment of chapped or burned skin and lips, and to prevent dry, itchy skin.
Hydrogenated castor oil, or castor wax, is a vegetable oil. Hydrogenated (to treat with hydrogen) makes the oil waxy. It soothes inflamed skin and moisturizes the skin.
Candelilla wax is a wax derived from the leaves of the small Candelilla shrub. It is a vegan substitute for beeswax. It is rich in nutrients and absorbs into the skin, allowing it to act as a barrier and help prevent moisture loss.
Aloe barbadensis is another name for aloe vera, a medicinal plant of desert origin. Aloe vera is used in traditional medicine as a skin treatment. It is widely used as a home remedy for burns.
Nymphaea alba, also known as the European white water lily, is an aquatic flowering plant. It has supposedly anti-inflammatory properties and promotes healing of wounds and burns. It nourishes, moisturizes and regenerates the skin as well as soothes irritation, redness, infections and skin disorders.
Panthenol is used as a moisturizer and to improve skin hydration, reducing itching and inflammation. It is a natural ingredient that can be found in plants and is a form of vitamin B5. Panthenol is absorbed into layers beneath the skin’s surface.
You can buy Omuci’s Nothing To Hide using this link.
UV (Rash) tops
We have used long-sleeved, UV Rash tops since we arrived in Australia in 2011. I think they’re wonderful; totally practical and they cover nearly all of the top half of the body however the kids often complain that they’re encumbersome and that they get heavy with too much water. In short they prefer not to wear them although this is often not negotiable.
We bought their tops from a company called Zacti from Mountain Warehouse. Each cost £7.99. Bargain!! They have been thoroughly used and abused and two years on, they’re both still in good condition.
Neither child burnt whilst wearing these and they’re clearly the preferred option (by us) for long periods in the sun although sun cream is still needed for the back of the neck, face and legs.
You can purchase the one below (and other colours) directly from Mountain Warehouse with this link.
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