Okay, mineral sunscreen is having a moment right now. A LOT of information is coming out about what’s in the chemical sunscreens you and I were raised with. News flash: it’s not good. We keep hearing about how the sunscreens from our youth not only affect our bodies, but our environment.
With four kids, I want to be sure I am choosing a sunblock that will product them from the sun and also be kind to their systems and the earth. It can all be very overwhelming, to be honest. So when I was handed MADE OF Sunscreen, I was excited to try a new brand of organic sunscreen. Would it check all the boxes and help me have more peace of mind this summer?
Excuse me while I blind you with my Caucasian effervescence.
I wish that I could say my kids inherited their super sensitive skin from another branch of the family tree, but alas, that one is all me. I come from a DNA line ripe with light-skinned Frenchmen and skin cancer prone Scottish, so sunscreen is an essential for us at the shore. Oh, don’t worry, you won’t miss us. We’re the ones shimmering with ghostly whiteness under our giant beach umbrella. Which means that I take sunscreen pretty seriously with our kids. However, I take ingredients seriously too (being the hippie that I am), which is why I was so interested in sampling the MADE OF zinc sunscreen lotion.
What’s MADE OF mineral sunscreen, made of?
One thing I love about the MADE OFnatural sunscreen is its simple ingredients. Yes, one can go down a very long rabbit hole about all the different ingredients mineral sunscreen should or should not have in it. But MADE OF does a great job of combining the necessary ones for a strong (SPF 30), all-natural (really!) sunscreen, without making it too complicated. The heavy-hitters for sun protection are Zinc Oxide and Raspberry Seed oil, which make it an excellent pick for families. These two ingredients are perfect for little and adult-sized bodies, as well as for those prone toward sensitive skin, given their gentle nature. Essentially, MADE OF is made of: Non-GMO Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Non-Nano Zinc Oxide, Organic Argan Oil, Organix Beeswax, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Raspberry Seed Oil, Vanilla, and Organic Cocoa Seed Butter. That’s it. Environmental Working Group, an amazing watchdog for consumers who want to be aware of chemicals in products, rates this organic sunscreen it a 1 (which is EXCELLENT!).
But can it stand up to child play?
No, I didn’t just use this lotion one time on a sunny day in the backyard. We used it one sunny day in the backyard. And also at the beach. And at an outdoor concert. Oh, and while I was sweating through a day of gardening. Impressively, it withstood the gamete of our family’s activities. On the longer days, I did re-apply after water play or perspiration. The coverage was solid and no one walked away the next day with sunburns or irritations. This, for me, was a total win.
So, five stars?
Would I recommend this zinc sunscreen to another mom or friend? Absolutely. As far a mineral sunscreens go, this one’s staying in our summer beach bag. I appreciate the basic ingredients, as well as the smell (the vanilla and cocoa butter make for a scrumptious pair). My daughter asked for the one that “smelled like cupcakes”. Like many mineral sunscreens, this goes on a bit thick. I found shaking it between each squirt helped produce a good dollop I could apply to myself and my children. Its thickness didn’t bother my kids one bit and helped me trust its coverage. I knew it was on! While 4 fluid ounces is a generous product size for a mineral-based, organic sunscreen, the thickness seemed to be a bit of a trade-off. However, if a thick consistency is the only criticism I can find in this natural sunscreen, I’d say that MADE OF is well worth the money. I knew it was working which made a sunny day for me much more enjoyable!
Have you tried MADE OF Sunscreen?
What do YOU think? For more information on safe sun protection, check our Guide to Safe Sunscreen with some of our top picks (Yes, MADE OF made the list!).
