A Clearer Choice for Sunscreen
Summer is right around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about sunscreen! Understanding sunscreen’s active ingredients may be the most important part of choosing the sunscreen product that is right for you and your family.
Two Types of Sunscreens: Mineral vs. Chemical Protection
Mineral sunscreens (also known as physical barrier sunscreen) use only zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide to protect from UV rays. These minerals sit on top of the skin to deflect, scatter and absorb UV rays. Chemical sunscreens are designed to soak into the skin, absorbing UV rays before they can do damage. Chemical sunscreens make up much of the sunscreen market, but there have been questions about the safety of chemical sunscreen ingredients and recently, a study confirmed that some chemicals are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. Even the FDA has asked for more studies in order to determine their safety. Lastly, some sunscreen ingredients, including oxybenzone and octinoxate, have been linked to coral bleaching and are not considered “reef-safe.”
Mineral sunscreen ingredients have a long history of safe use and are considered reef-safe, making them an easy choice. The downside is that mineral sunscreens can leave a white residue on the skin, which makes them harder to use. At Badger, we have always been committed to making the safest sunscreens, so we’ve never used chemical ingredients and only use the mineral zinc oxide as our active ingredient. Recently, though, we added “clear” zinc oxide options to our line and introduced a set of products that are less whitening, but still only contain a safe mineral sunscreen ingredient.
What is Clear Zinc Oxide? And Why is it “Clear”?
Clear zinc oxide is made from nanoparticles (particles smaller than 100 nanometers) that have been fused together into larger particles, called “aggregates.” These aggregates are porous, like a sea sponge, so they don’t reflect light in the same way as larger particles. The result: you get the less-whitening properties of nanoparticles, but with the safety profile of larger non-nano particles.
Is Clear Zinc Oxide Safe?
When clear zinc oxide first came out, Badger took a “wait and see” approach. This new technology was exciting, but it was too new for us to feel confident that all of the information was available. Ten years later, we have not seen any health or safety issues arise and we started conducting our own research. We analyzed clear zinc oxide via scanning electron microscope to better understand the particle structure and size distribution and then, using light scatter analysis, we tested our finished product. This testing confirmed an average particle size of 3400nm and no detectable nanoparticles.
Clear zinc oxide is approved as a UV filter in the U.S. and all major international markets, and it meets the natural cosmetic standards of the Natural Products Association (USA) and ECOCERT (EU). We’re confident that clear zinc oxide meets Badger’s high standards for ingredient safety and we are excited to add this new option to our sunscreen lineup!
Choose a Sunscreen that is Right for You!
For any sunscreen to be effective, it needs to be applied liberally and often – so find one that you trust and like to use! We hope you have a fun and safe summer and remind you that even with a great sunscreen, the best protection from the sun is to seek shade and cover up with clothes and a hat, especially during peak hours of 10 am – 2 pm.
Badger is a family owned and operated manufacturer of certified organic and 100% natural personal care products for babies, kids and adults. A certified B Corp, their mission is to create fabulously pure products and protect the environment. They also work hard to create a healthy business with ethical and charitable principles and offer innovative employee benefits and programs such as babies at work, childcare for the children of Badger employees, paid parental leave, and organic lunches served daily and free to all employees—and that’s just for starters! Learn more at www.BadgerBalm.com .






