Buy Blue Lizard Sunscreen NEW!
I bought this mineral sunscreen about one and a half year ago. Those who follow my blog would know that i am a sucker for chemical free sunscreen. As i have sensitive skin, my skin has an allergy to fragrance and certain chemicals. Hence it breaks out easily.
buy blue lizard sunscreen
I had already reviewed other chemical free mineral sunscreens like Aveeno Mineral Sunscreen Spf 50 and Z- Block Sunscreen, neither of them are perfect. So i continue searching for the perfect holy grail sunscreen for my skin.
Blue lizard mineral based face sunscreen has both physical sunscreen(Zinc Oxide) and chemical sunscreen(Octinoxate, also called Octyl methoxycinnamate) in it. This was not mentioned in the amazon page and i ended up buying this sunscreen by mistake.
The consistency is similar to Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock. It is neither too thick not thin. It takes longer to blend in so you have to keep rubbing unlike chemical sunscreens. But all the mineral sunscreens i have tried are like that. So i just have to get used to it.
The finish is shiny but it does settle to a matte if i just leave it alone for an hour or so. I do not know how it would fare on oily skin. No matter which skin type you are, it is better to apply a moisturiser underneath this sunscreen.
Depending on this product alone for moisturising your skin may not be a good idea for dry or mature skin as this sunscreen may accentuate wrinkles, flaky skin and dry patches. It may also make pores look visible.
Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen's Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen with SPF 50+ protects your skin with Blue Lizard's strongest UV protection yet. With 80 minutes of sweat and water resistance, you stay protected longer while swimming, during your run or whatever you love to do. This mineral formula uses Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays without the use of potentially irritating chemical active ingredients. We love the reef! To help protect fragile reef ecosystems, Blue Lizard Sensitive sunscreens contain no Oxybenzone or Octinoxate. Sensitive is ready to tag along wherever you go. Slip the travel size tube into your purse or backpack, and our Smart Cap Technology will let you know when harmful UV rays are present. Watch the tube cap turn blue in sunlight as a reminder to stay sun safe wherever you are. Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen has been trusted by dermatologists for over 20 years.
Shake well prior to use. Apply liberally to dry skin 15 minutes before sun exposure.For topical use only. Keep out of reach of children.Children under 6 months ask a doctor. Sun Protection Measures Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To decrease this risk, regularly use a sunscreen with a Broad Spectrum SPF value of 15 or higher and other sun protection measures including Limit time in the sun, especially from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and sunglasses. Reapply to dry skin after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating immediately after towel drying at least every 2 hours
One of the best aspects of the Blue Lizard sunscreen line is that the bottles turn color when exposed to UV light.Blue Lizard products also measure up to Australian sunscreen standards, which are more strict than the FDA standards in the United States. The products are chemical-free and contain at least 6% zinc oxide (an ingredient that reflects rather than absorb UVA and UVB rays, compared to only the 1 to 2% found in competitor brands.
Octisalate is a chemical sunscreen ingredient and at 5% is the limit FDA allows. It is used to augment UVB protection in sunscreen. As a salicylate (a weak UVB absorber), octisalate is generally combined with other UV chemical filters. Octisalate typically degrades when exposed to sunlight. It is a penetration enhancer, increasing the amount of other ingredients passing through skin and into the bloodstream. Octisalate is toxic to marine biosystems and may contribute to coral bleaching.
Zinc oxide MUST be non nano to be fully safe. Nanoparticles are smaller than 100 nanometers, and some companies have used them in their sunscreens to make them less white. The problem is that such small particles, while not necessarily harmful to humans, easily enter coral and other marine biosystems and cause significant damage. In short, nano sized zinc oxide is NOT reef safe. Since Blue Lizard does not state their Zinc Oxide is non-nano, we can only assume it is the small, nano sized particles and thus not reef safe. At the very least, not stating "non-nano" is evidence that Blue Lizard doesn't appreciate the importance of non-nano adequately.
These toxic ingredients include ANY petrochemicals, along with nano-sized versions of either zinc oxide or titanium oxide. To be truly a reef safe sunscreen, it must contain ONLY mineral active ingredients (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide), and these ingredients must be NON-NANO, which means the particle size is large enough to not enter and harm marine biosystems. If a sunscreen fails to meet all these requirements, it is not reef safe.
Coppertone Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion, about $9 on AmazonThis hypoallergenic sunscreen lotion is made from naturally sourced zinc oxide lotion plus botanicals like tea leaf, sea kelp, and lotus extracts.
Did you know that in July 2018, Hawaii became the first state to pass a bill banning sunscreens (this is a direct link to its timeline with a link/pdf that fully describes the nature of the bill) that include chemicals believed to be harming the beautiful coral reefs that many locals and travelers like you come to admire?
Studies have shown that sunscreens including oxybenzone and octinoxate cause mortality in developing coral; increase coral bleaching that indicates extreme stress, even at temperatures below 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit; and cause genetic damage to coral and other marine organisms.
Of course, Hawaii wants to keep the coral safe, so they prohibit the sale and distribution of sunscreens that have these ingredients that are damaging to the aquatic environment unless you have a prescription from a licensed healthcare professional.
Top sellers of sunscreens with the banned chemicals include Banana Boat, Coppertone, and Hawaiian Tropic. But even Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic carry sunscreens that are with and without the chemicals.
These sunscreens use minerals that are physical blockers such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect the skin from the harmful effects of the sun without the use of chemicals, like oxybenzone that penetrates the skin and stay in the body for an unknown amount of time.
These first two images are from Hawaiian Tropics AntiOxidant+ sunscreen lotion labelled as reef-friendly on the front of the bottle. But when we look at the active ingredients on the back we notice that neither zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are present.So yes, this a reef-friendly option of sunscreen BUT it is NOT approved for sale or use in Maui County per the new ordinance that is in effect beginning Oct. 1, 2022.
The next two images are what you should be looking for when you buy a reef-safe and Hawaii-approved sunscreen. Hawaiian Tropics Mineral Sunscreen is also labelled as reef-friendly on the front of the container. Then looking at the active ingredients on the back we see what we should be finding on all Maui County-approved, and therefore Hawaii, the use of only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
It is up to you to ensure you are purchasing the right mineral sunscreen that is safe for the environment and your skin. Some of the brands below do have reef-friendly sunscreens, but looking at the active ingredients, some are not mineral sunscreens that would fit the new Maui sunscreen law or County of Hawaii sunscreen ban.
I have done my best to make things easier for you and only link to mineral sunscreens that fit the guidelines. But keep in mind that these product pages can change frequently, so please double check before making any purchases.
Hawaiian Tropic does have reef-safe sunscreen options, but you have to look carefully at the active ingredients. As we saw in the images above, one Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen that is labeled reef-friendly and is ok in Hawaii, but would NOT be legal in Maui County or Hawaii County. Play it safe and only purchase mineral sunscreens, like this one, that have either/or both Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide as the active ingredients.
Banana Boat does offer mineral reef-safe sunscreen options, like their 100% mineral sport version and the Kids 100% Mineral, but avoid the mineral enriched varieties. This is yet another example of tricky wording to watch out for. Banana Boats mineral enriched sunscreen contains active ingredients that are not approved in Maui or Hawaii County such as Homosalate and Octisalate.
If you want a reef-safe sunscreen from Coppertone, opt for the Sport Mineral or Pure & Simple 100% Mineral like this one, or the kids version, and even babies, line of sunscreens. The regular Coppertone Sport 4-in-1 does not contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as active ingredients. So even though the front label highlights regular Coppertone Sport is free of oxbenzone and octinoxate, you would not be able to use it in Maui County or purchase in Hawaii County (Big Island).
Equate Sport Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion has a nice reef-friendly image on the bottle but does not contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. The main active ingredients are currently ok for use in Hawaii but NOT Maui County or the County of Hawaii (the Big Island). We were unable to find a mineral-only sunscreen option by the Equate brand.
Neutrogena does have sunscreen that is allowed in Hawaii, but looking at reviews from their sensitive skin mineral sunscreen we would look elsewhere. Numerous users have left feedback of experiencing rashes after using the Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 60+. 041b061a72