Natural sunscreen without synthetic substances

Sunscreen protects your skin against UV radiation, but no sunscreen blocks everything. So also seek the shade, especially between 12 and 3 pm, and wear covering clothing. The Dutch Cancer Society KWF gives the same advice. With sunscreen you can choose between two types of UV filters: mineral and synthetic. Synthetic filters are also called chemical, but we don't find that term very helpful: natural products are made with chemistry too.

UV protection
Both types protect well, as long as the sunscreen achieves the SPF on the pack and you apply enough. It was long thought that a mineral filter such as zinc oxide mainly reflects the radiation, like a little mirror. That picture is too simple: zinc oxide mainly absorbs UV radiation, just like synthetic filters, and also scatters or reflects part of it (Cole et al., 2016). So the difference lies mainly in what the filter does on and in your skin.

Skin feel
Zinc oxide stays on top of your skin and works immediately after application. A mineral sunscreen can look a little white at first; with a good formula, that disappears when you spread it well. Synthetic filters sink into the skin and often feel lighter.

Health
Synthetic filters don't just sink into your skin, part of them also ends up in your body. In American research they were found in the blood, above the level at which the FDA asks for additional safety research (Matta et al., JAMA 2020). There are concerns about a number of synthetic filters. In laboratory and animal studies, some act as endocrine disruptors. The EU has therefore set stricter limits for oxybenzone and homosalate (2022/1176, 2022/2195), and 4-MBC has been banned since May 2025. Octocrylene can slowly break down in the packaging into benzophenone, a substance classified as possibly carcinogenic (Downs et al., 2021). What this means in normal use is not yet clear, because much of the research has been done in the lab and not in people. It is striking, though, that the US FDA only recognises zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as safe and effective; for the other filters it asks for more research (FDA, 2019). That is why we prefer to be safe rather than sorry: zinc oxide only.

Important: do apply sunscreen properly. Being protected matters more than which filter you choose. KWF stresses this too.

Environment
Some synthetic UV filters, such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, are linked to damage to coral. Hawaii has therefore banned sunscreens with these filters since 2021. Our SPF30 doesn't contain them and is certified according to the Friend of the Sea® Reef-Safe Sunscreen standard (FOS ID: 4827). For this, independent laboratory testing must show, among other things, that the sunscreen contains no substances that harm coral and marine life.

For face and body there is the natural mineral sunscreen SPF30: non-nano zinc oxide, fragrance-free and without a white cast once spread well. Suitable for the whole family from 6 months. The cream comes in 150 ml and in 50 ml, which fits in your hand luggage.

Don't forget your lips. Your lips have little pigment of their own and dry out quickly in sun, wind and salt water. The Berry Balm cares for dry or chapped lips with plant oils and vitamin E. It contains no sun protection, so use it mainly after a day in the sun or when your lips feel dry.

Our sunscreen protects with zinc oxide in non-nano form: the particles are larger than 100 nanometres. According to the European scientific committee SCCS, zinc oxide does not penetrate healthy skin. As a precaution, we still choose non-nano. The zinc oxide is also uncoated: there is no extra layer around it, such as silicones. The SCCS indicates that some coatings can actually promote penetration into the skin. We don't want that!

Besides the mineral filter, it contains nourishing plant oils, such as grape seed oil, raspberry seed oil and oil from the kernel of the kakadu plum, an Australian fruit known for its high vitamin C content. The oil itself contains mainly linoleic acid (omega-6). The bilberry, raspberry and bisabolol come from residual streams of the food industry. The oils keep your skin supple and help it retain moisture. The zinc oxide takes care of the sun protection.

The sunscreen is suitable from 6 months. We received this advice from the laboratory, because babies younger than 6 months should not be in the sun at all. KWF even advises keeping babies out of the sun until they are 1 year old.

You can use the natural sunscreen on your face and body. The cream protects against UVB radiation, which mainly causes sunburn, and against UVA radiation, which mainly contributes to skin ageing from the sun.

Mineral sunscreen used to leave a thick white layer. Together with our laboratory, we worked on this formula for a long time. At first you briefly see a white layer, which disappears when you spread the cream calmly. We also read this in many reviews. The cream is water-resistant: in an independent ISO test, on average well over two-thirds of the protection remained after 40 minutes in the water. So always reapply after swimming and towelling off.

We are so proud!!

In July 2026, Food for Skin was rated the most sustainable Dutch sunscreen brand in the Just Enough Product Guide, with a score of 9.7. For the assessment, Just Enough examined sustainability, animal welfare, human rights, transparency and the production chain, among other things, using the Ethical Consumer methodology.

Food for Skin not only achieved the highest score among the Dutch brands, but also scored higher than all internationally assessed sunscreen brands.

Read the Just Enough research