Best Vegan Sunscreen (+ Homemade sunscreen recipe)

Have a good summer! Looking for cruelty-free sunscreen made from clean, reef-safe ingredients?

Sunscreens are so important for happy and healthy skin. That’s why we’ve found our 9 best cruelty-free sunscreens for you to try.

They are the most popular sunscreen products from brands that don’t test on animals.

Whether you’re looking for everyday protection or protection for big jobs, we’ve got options for you!

9 incredible cruelty-free sunscreens

Table of Contents

Supergoop

Supergoop! is a reef-safe luxury skincare brand that focuses primarily on sunscreen and sun protection.

They have many product options for the application type, different protection levels, and uses. Their products are fun to use, smell great, and work great!

Seriously, look at how many options they have on Amazon!

To test some Supergoop! Products, check out the limited-edition Jet Set. This one gives you 3 favorite SPFs: a light face and body lotion, an invisible face base, and a makeup spray.

You get your money’s worth here.

Cruelty-free, vegan options, paraben-free
Skin Type: Normal
Skin Care Concerns: Wrinkles and fine lines, dryness, and redness

Sunscreen for black girl

No perfume, no grease, no white plaster? What more do you want in sunscreen!

Black Girl sunscreen has SPF 30 and SPF 50 in its children’s formula and can be used on the face and body.

This product is specially formulated for women of color and is infused with natural ingredients to soothe, moisturize, and protect your skin.

Cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free, silicone-free, aluminum-free.

Sun Bum

Sun Bum sunscreen has been proven for years!

It is available in a body spray and lotion and a face lotion, with SPF levels ranging from 15 to 70.

I like to ensure I’m protecting my skin, so I always choose the SPF 50 lotion.

It smells great, lasts a few hours, and is not afraid of the ocean.

Cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic.

Babo Botanical

Get Babo Botanicals sunscreen for the whole family – it’s available in spray, lotion, stick, baby, and sports formulas. They’ve thought of everything.

Many users swear by this product, but we’ve always heard that it leaves a white streak on clothes if it’s not applied carefully.

We recommend the lotion, but if you choose the spray, apply it to your skin.

Cruelty-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, no added fragrance.

Pacifica

First, let’s talk about the incredible smell of Pacifica sunscreen! Their products are naturally scented with vanilla, orange, and coconut and come in a spray and lotion.

Users have had some problems with the thickness of the product and getting a good application, but when applied correctly, it works very well!

Cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free, silicone-free

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Bare Republic

The Bare Republic is light, not greasy, and smells great.

It is available in spray and lotion and sticks with SPF 30 to 50.

Customers’ most significant drawback is the white color it leaves behind, so it may not be the best option for those with a dark complexion.

Cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free.

Alba Botanica

Alba Botanica has a long list of natural ingredients that healthily protect your skin and is perfect for sensitive skin.

This product reapplies at least every two hours, as it does not last long.

When I tested this one, I found that it is comparable to Sun Bum at a much lower price! If you have a limited budget, try it.

Cruelty-free, sulfate-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, colorant-free, aluminum-free.

Garden of the Goddess

You’ve found the perfect partner if you have extremely fair skin and need an unbreakable protective layer!

The two active ingredients in Goddess Gardens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which offer your maximum skin protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays.

However, Goddess Garden is thick and white, which is not good if you have a darker complexion. In that case, choose Black Girl sunscreen instead.

Cruelty-free, vegan, GMO-free

Juice Beauty

The mineral sunscreen of Juice Beauty is safe for your body and the earth.

My favorite is their SPF Sport Moisturizer, which leaves your skin protected and radiant.

The only downside is that you must take your time to get it in and get rid of the white spot.

But the Juice Beauty sunscreen is worth it!

Cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, silicone-free, gluten-free

You can also do it yourself.

I listed above some Vegan options that you can buy safely, but if you don’t pay attention, some commercial sunscreen may do more harm than good. Some popular sunscreen brands contain chemicals that can be toxic to you and your family.

Vanderbilt University has said that some of these chemicals can produce a cancer-causing reaction when exposed to the sun. Vanderbilt notes that evidence of such a reaction is still being studied. Researchers suspect that benzophenone, benzophenone-3, avobenzone, and oxybenzone, the chemicals found in many sunscreens, release free radicals in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet light.

According to Healthychild.com, “ingredients found in common sunscreens are suspected carcinogens or known and known endocrine disruptors, including:

diethanolamine
triethanolamine (DEA, TEA)
padimate-o
octyl dimethyl PABA
benzophenone
oxybenzone
homosalate
octyl methoxycinnamate (octinoxate)
salicylates and parabens.”

Numerous studies suggest that the most popular sunscreens may contribute to cancer due to their mutagenic effect and the generation of free radicals. And perhaps the most disturbing conclusion is that many chemicals commonly used in sunscreens have strong estrogenic action that can interfere with normal sexual development and cause reproductive problems. The chemicals in sunscreens can also cause skin irritation and rashes.

“The Environmental Working Group and other toxicology experts believe oxybenzone is linked to hormone disruption and potentially cell damage that can lead to skin cancer”.

Many popular sunscreens contain the chemical ingredient benzophenone (or benzophenone-3 or oxybenzone derivatives) because it is one of the best chemicals to protect against UVA and UVB rays. However, sunscreens containing these chemicals are NOT a good choice. Here’s an example where the protection they can create does more harm than good and causes the illness they are trying to prevent. Benzophenone is a powerful free radical generator activated by ultraviolet light. These free radicals can trigger a reaction leading to melanoma and other skin cancers.

Studies show that some of the chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed into the bloodstream in significant amounts. The greater the number of chemicals applied to the skin, the greater the absorption by the body. One study noted that “it would be prudent not to use oxybenzone to large areas of skin for prolonged and repeated periods unless no other protection is available. There may be an additional concern for young children whose elimination process is less well developed and who have a larger body surface area relative to their weight than adults. ”

Many sunscreens contain triethanolamine (TEA). This ingredient can combine with nitrite (used as a preservative or may be present as an environmental contaminant) to cause the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. Nitrites are not disclosed on cosmetic labels, so there is no way to know which products are contaminated with nitrosamines. Of particular concern is that up to 35% of TEA applied to the skin can enter the bloodstream.

So to avoid any problems, let’s make our sunscreen!

Homemade Non-Toxic Broad Spectrum Coconut Oil Sunscreen

Ingredients :

1/2 cup of 100% pure aloe (preferably organic) should be sticky as if it came from a fresh plant.
20 drops of carrot seed oil OR raspberry seed oil – (raspberry seed oil has a higher SPF if that’s what you want)
5 tablespoons of coconut oil
3 capsules of vitamin E or hemp seed oil (2 tablespoons)
5 drops of lavender essential oil
2 tablespoons of zinc oxide (buy a non-nano version that the skin will not absorb. Do not inhale the powder).

This is a higher natural SPF 20, or you can add some. Make sure not to inhale the zinc oxide. Use a mask if necessary!

NOTE: Please omit zinc oxide from the natural and non-toxic version of this sunscreen recipe, especially during preparation. Zinc oxide can affect the lungs and reproductive system if inhaled. Replace zinc oxide with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, which helps to increase the sun protection factor (SPF).

Coconut oil sunscreen recipe

Or you can simplify with this simple 3-ingredient recipe: