Struggling finding the right sunscreen for you?

At GLC, we work with a team of highly skilled chemists and skincare specialists - here are our recommendations:

Always make sure you're using a mineral based sunscreen. 

Look for active ingredients: zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These are all natural, earth derived ingredients that serve as incredible agents for preventing sunburn and protecting your skin from UVA/UVB rays. Always confirm the zinc oxide being used is non-nano, meaning it does not contain any nano-particles that can be absorbed into your blood stream. Always avoid sunscreen that have active ingredients: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, benzophenone-3. These are powerful chemicals that are clinically proven to be harmful to humans and our oceans.

Choose the tint your looking for. 

Sunscreen is typically offered in the following tint/lusters: clear, white, or tan. Be weary when choosing sunscreen that is advertised as applying clear. What makes zinc-oxide so successful as a sunscreen is its physical barrier properties. If the sunscreen your using is going on clear, it is either ineffective, or chemical based. Your classic white tint sunscreen is the most common on the market. In its natural state, zinc oxide is white in luster, and some people don't mind this. Lastly, there's tan tinted sunscreen. This is becoming more and more popular as people are steering away from sunscreen that leaves them looking white and pasty. This is the most admirable tint of sunscreen on the market as it is the least obvious upon application. It blends into your skin and has almost a makeup effect. A lot of tinted sunscreen comes in different shades to blend to different skin tones, so be sure to do your research. Our OG Natural Tinted Sunscreen comes in one middle tone tint, that is designed to seamlessly melt and blend with any skin tone. 

Avoid sunscreen packaged in plastic. 

Alternatively, look for sunscreen packaged in raw materials such as aluminum, glass, or paper. Cosmetics that are packaged in plastic are shown to contain microplastics, as well as BPAs. Our skin is the largest organ of the human body, so just as we avoid eating microplastics and BPAs, we want to avoid applying it to our skin as well. Sunscreen is also typically brought into the hot sun, whether at the beach, pool, hiking, etc. Having plastic sunscreen in the sun only increases the amount of BPAs and microplastics released into the sunscreen. Not to mention, you're adding to plastic waste when disposing of it. 

Look for sunscreen made for sensitive skin. 

Understanding your skin type and needs can be crucial. It may take some trial and error finding your ideal sunscreen. Look for something that is made for sensitive skin. Again, make sure you're using something chemical free, as even sunscreen marketed for sensitive skin can be packed with harsh chemicals. The more you can see the sunscreen and actually remove from your skin, the less likely it is to cause any breakouts. Sunscreen that "disappears" and cannot be physically removed, is being absorbed into your pores.

All in all, we hope this helps you choose the perfect sunscreen for you. We know there are a lot of different skin types with different needs and desires, at GLC, we wanted to create one universal sunscreen that checks all the boxes. Check out our OG Natural Tinted Sunscreen.