Natural sun protection for the face
A bright blue sky, warm rays of sunshine, and the chirping of birds – all of this invites us to go outside and enjoy the beauty of spring and summer. But while we're enjoying the beautiful weather, our skin needs special protection. The new generation of natural cosmetic sun care not only offers reliable protection against UV rays, but also impresses with improved textures and a pleasant skin feel after application. Thus, it protects us gently and effectively from UV rays without compromising on tolerability or environmental friendliness!
Table of Contents
- Sun Protection Basics: Different Types of UV Rays
- How to choose effective sun protection?
- Naturally protected: The new era of environmentally friendly sun protection
- Decision-making aid: Mineral or chemical sunscreen?
- mineral filters
- chemical filters
- Digression: Which sun protection factor is the right one?
- Conclusion: Natural cosmetics sun protection in focus
Sun Protection Basics: Different Types of UV Rays
UV rays – this term has become a staple of our beauty vocabulary in recent years. But what exactly does this mean? Generally, there are two types of UV rays: UV-A and UV-B rays. UV-B rays are short-wave and cause sunburn. They damage the skin cells in our outermost layer, the epidermis. UV-A radiation is long-wave and penetrates deeper into our skin, down to the dermis. There, UV-A radiation creates free radicals that can accelerate skin aging.
Both types of UV radiation can cause skin cancer if exposed to them for too long without protection. Therefore, an effective sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection, meaning it protects against both UV-A and UV-B radiation.
How to choose effective sun protection?
The most effective sun protection for you depends on your skin type, how much time you plan to spend outdoors, and what activities you plan to do. The sun protection factor (SPF) of a sunscreen indicates how well the product protects you from UV rays. A common misconception about sun protection is the assumption that the skin's natural protection is sufficient for everyday use, especially for darker skin types. This is not the case, however. Depending on the skin type, the skin's natural protection only lasts between 5 and 30 minutes. A person with fair skin, whose skin has a natural protection of 5 minutes, can theoretically stay in the sun for 30 minutes with a sunscreen with SPF 150.
But that's just theory – there are many factors that influence actual sun protection and often shorten it. First, there's the daily UV index. This changes, for example, with the position of the sun, cloud cover, the season, the geographical location, and the altitude of a place. If the UV index is above a factor of 3, you should apply sunscreen even for a short time in the sun, such as when commuting to work or running errands. Because with a high UV factor, even brief exposure can damage the skin.
Second, people often underestimate how much sunscreen they actually need to apply for it to be effective. Two finger-lengths of product are recommended for the face, and about three tablespoons for the body. After sweating or swimming, it's essential to reapply sunscreen, as the sunscreen is no longer effective. But even without sweating, sunscreen loses its effectiveness over time, which is why a top-up every two hours is recommended.
Naturally protected: The new era of environmentally friendly sun protection
Given the growing concerns about environmentally harmful ingredients in conventional sunscreens and the growing demand for natural and skin-friendly alternatives, natural cosmetic sun care is gaining increasing importance. The current generation of sunscreen products has undergone significant development, allowing them to provide effective protection against the harmful effects of the sun without compromising on application, skin compatibility, or environmental friendliness.
Manufacturers from Natural cosmetics In recent years, the application properties of mineral sunscreens have greatly improved. Previous generations of mineral filters often left an undesirable white film on the skin, which was considered a significant disadvantage. Today, these problems have largely been overcome, making mineral sunscreens an attractive option for all skin types.
Even chemical filters, long frowned upon in natural cosmetics, are now becoming increasingly popular, and they are becoming increasingly popular. This is due to manufacturers increasingly using non-irritating active ingredients that do not cause hormonal effects or trigger allergies.
All in all, there are now hardly any good reasons to resort to conventional sunscreens, especially with regard to application.
Decision-making aid: Mineral or chemical sunscreen?
When choosing the right sunscreen, we often face the choice between mineral and chemical filters. How do we decide between them? Chemical filters absorb the sun's rays and convert them into heat. Mineral filters, on the other hand, contain pigments that reflect sunlight away from the skin. In both categories, there are ingredients that are recommended and those that are less recommended.
mineral filters
Mineral filters are well tolerated by people with sensitive skin and with skin problems such as Rosacea, as they are less irritating. They do not trigger allergies and are especially recommended for children. Sunscreens with mineral filters offer effective protection immediately after application. In the past, mineral filters often had a heavy texture, were difficult to spread, and left a white film. However, most manufacturers have now improved their formulations, making mineral sunscreens easier to apply, more pleasant on the skin, and no longer leaving a white residue.
There are now also tinted mineral sunscreens for the face that not only provide good protection against UV rays but also give the skin an even and radiant appearance. Mineral sunscreen filters containing nanoparticles are controversial because they can potentially penetrate the skin and are not considered reef-safe. Unlike non-nano mineral filters, they can be absorbed by marine organisms and harm corals. Because their long-term effects on humans and the environment have not yet been sufficiently researched, most natural cosmetics brands deliberately avoid nanoparticles.
| Name of the mineral filter | Recommended? | Possible side effects |
| Titanium dioxide (non-nano) | Ja | No |
| Zinc oxide (non-nano) | Ja | No |
| Titanium dioxide (nano) | No | nanoparticles |
| Zinc oxide (nano) | No | nanoparticles |
chemical filters
Chemical filters have the advantage of not leaving a white cast on the skin thanks to their light texture and transparent finish. This makes them ideal for use under makeup. However, some chemical sunscreen filters can cause irritation or allergic reactions in people with sensitive skin or allergies or skin problems.
You should wait about 20 minutes after application for chemical sunscreen filters to take full effect. They can also break down faster under sun exposure than mineral filters, meaning you'll need to reapply more often.
| Name of the chemical filter | Recommended? | Possible side effects |
| Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone | Ja | No |
| Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine | Ja | No |
| Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate | Ja | No |
| Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid | Ja | No |
| Ethylhexyl Triazone | Ja | No |
| Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane | Ja | No |
| Octyl Methoxycinnamate | No | hormonal effect |
| Homo salads | No | Hormonal effects and allergies |
| Benzophenones-3 to -5 | No | Hormonal effects and allergies |
| octocrylene | No | Can accumulate in the organism |
Digression: Which sun protection factor is the right one?
In general, any sun protection factor (SPF or SPF) is suitable for every skin type. The decisive factor here is the so-called self-protection time: It indicates how long the skin protects itself, i.e. without it UV protection, can protect against the sun's rays. Depending on the skin color, the self-protection time is shorter or longer. The rule applies here:
- very light skin: 5 to 10 minutes
- light skin: 10 to 20 minutes
- medium brown skin: 15 to 25 minutes
- dark skin: 20 to 30 minutes
This time is multiplied by the LSF to calculate the final protection time. This would be 30 minutes for light skin with an SPF of 300 (10x30 = 300). The skin would therefore be protected from UV rays for 300 minutes. Based on this, one can say: the higher the SPF, the longer the protection time. It is therefore advisable, even with dark skin, to use sun protection with a high SPF in order to protect the skin from the sun for as long as possible.
Conclusion: Natural cosmetics sun protection in focus
Thanks to the constant improvement of natural cosmetic sun care formulations, these products are pleasant to use, feel good on the skin, and offer comprehensive broad-spectrum protection against harmful UV rays. Therefore, by using natural cosmetic sunscreen, consumers not only contribute to protecting their own skin but also to protecting the environment by choosing products that are free of harmful chemicals and environmentally harmful ingredients. Therefore, natural cosmetic sun care is not only a smart choice for your own health, but also for the health of our planet.