Let's Get Ready for Summer: All Good Sunscreen Review ☀️
Curious about the All Good Sunscreen brand?
I have used several of their products over the last few years (both on myself and my two babies), and i’m here to share my review— because finding good sunscreen is a strugggle.
It's that time of year when we are getting to spend more and more time in the sun. That means we are gearing up to make sure we have everything we need for safe sun practices this summer!
Over the past couple of years, we have tried a lot of different products and brands in our home looking for the best sunscreen.
Now, before we dive in-- this post is not sponsored at all. All the products tried have been purchased with my own money. Just my honest, personal review of a popular sunscreen brand and how it worked for my family.
Safe Sun Practices
Before getting into sunscreen, I wanted to touch on something important. That is safe sun practices. These are habits you can adopt in your own family to protect yourself from the sun. This includes:
staying out of the sun during its peak rays (usually 10am- 4pm)
taking advantage of shade during those times
using physical barriers such as clothing, hats, and umbrellas to shield your skin
eating a whole food, nourishing diet full of antioxidants which help your body to repair and heal and protect itself naturally
These are things I always practice for myself and my children who are too young to protect their own skin. We do all these in conjunction with quality sun screen options.
The difference between chemical and mineral sunscreens
Now, there are generally two different categories of sunscreen- chemical sunscreens and mineral-based sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens absorb the sun rays, whereas the mineral ones reflect the sun because of the physical barrier it creates on the skin. This physical barrier is due to the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (the ingredients that cause those sunscreens to leave a white cast on the skin).
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What I look for in sunscreen
I currently have two young kids in our home, and we are all fair skinned and burn easily. So while we primarily practice safe sun practices as our first line of defense- we also make sure to keep sun screen on hand. We also all have fairly sensitive skin so are mindful of what our skin is exposed to and absorbs. Here are some of the things I look for in sunscreen
reef-safe sunscreens, meaning they are free from ingredients that harm the coral reefs and marine life in the ocean.
sweat and water resistance (because 9x out of 10 my daughter is playing in the water or we are out on the boat fishing)
mineral-based active ingredients
If you are interested in reading some more about the science and research done on sunscreen ingredients( particularly some of the common ones in chemical sunscreens), this article does a good job of summarizing it succinctly and linking to the studies.
All Good Sunscreen Review
Okay now that we got all of that out of the way- let's talk about the All Good brand. I have bought several of their All Good mineral sunscreen products including the body sunscreen and kids mineral sunscreen butter stick. In the past I haven't had a good experience with aerosol spray sunscreens, so I have yet to try that (but if you have i'd love to hear how it works for you!)
Lets take a look at the ingredients of their Sport Mineral Sunscreen Lotion (these are pulled directly from their website):
Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Bisabolol*, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower*, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract*, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Cellulose Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Diheptyl Succinate, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Mauritia Flexuosa (Buriti) Fruit Oil*, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Seed Extract*, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil*, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter*, Tocopherol, Water.
*Certified Organic Ingredients
Originally I was worried about alcohol being listed several times in the ingredients but I did some research and found out that its commonly used to get rid of that "greasy" feel. It can also help the sunscreen to be applied more easily and have a more light-weight feel. Usually the concern with alcohols is their drying effect, but I haven't noticed any drying our or irritation! That is probably thank to the shea butter.
My honest review of the Sport Mineral Sunscreen is that while it worked fine, I didn't love it. But what i DID love-- the sunscreen butter stick.
The ingredients of their SPF 50 Kids Mineral Sunscreen Butter Stick (again, straight off their website):
Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flowers*, Cera Alba (Beeswax)*, Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria (Chamomile) Flower Extract*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Non-GMO Tocopherol (Vitamin E).
A much shorter list of ingredients and I noticed no alcohols in this formulation. With is being made of coconut oil, I did notice that if it was really warm out it would be a little softer and go on a little too easy? My simple solution to that was to throw it in the cooler on extra hot days. Not only did this keep it a little more firm and less-melty, but it makes it so nice and cooling when it's time to reapply!
Similar to other physical sunscreens, this leaves a thick, white cast on top of your skin when first applied. But I found that I could easily rub it in and the white cast was much more subtle. I've actually come to appreciate that white cast (especially with my little ones) because its a visual reminder of when it is time to reapply!
Overall, I think All Good sunscreen is, well, all good 👍 We will definitely reorder the butter stick for this upcoming summer and keep it in our arsenal of healthy sun protection options!
Some of My Other Favorite Safe Sun Products:
Waxhead sunscreen- I love love love the ingredients : zinc oxide, coconut oil, beeswax, vanilla extract… and thats it. Not to mention everything except for the zinc oxide is certified organic 👏 I’ve used their sport sunscreen stick which is similar to the All Good Butter Stick, and I am wanting to try their tinted sunscreen this summer. Unlike other tinted products, this one just uses cacao powder. Smellin’ like a dessert and sun protection.. okayy ☀️
I have a couple of sun protection shirts for another layer- especially for long days on the boat or beach. I’ve found both mine at REI.
Pop-up Shade Tent- Earlier this year we went with our family to Kauai. We knew we wanted a spot for our daughter ( who was 2 at the time) to play and have some extra protection from the sun. This was perfect!! It’s super compact when folded and is a decent amount of space.
Portable Stroller Fan- Another nifty gadget that we got for my daughter and this may be one of our most used summer items. It’s perfect for getting little ones some extra air flow on really hot days— and me too! The bendy arms can wrap around a stroller, a backpack, baby carrier, or you can fold them into a little tripod stand.
Enjoy that sunshine and vitamin D— but make sure to take good care of your skin too!
Kaelyn
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