Review: Suntribe Sunscreen
- Alysia
- Jul 19, 2021
- 6 min read
Is this the mineral sunscreen I’ve been looking for?
Sunscreen. If you’ve read previous articles, you know my journey back to Earth started here. And after a year and half of searching, I eventually found Suntribe.
They seemed to be everything I was looking for. An entirely natural, mineral sunscreen. That’s all I was looking for, and it was so hard to find. But it exists in the form of this small Swedish brand.
Suntribe was founded by three friends who wanted to create “worry-free” sunscreen by using nature’s ingredients, and the safest options for us and the planet.
What resulted is a brand known for its pure zinc-oxide sunscreens, ranging from an all-round face and body cream perfect for summer holidays, to 100% visible pastes, used by Olympic athletes no less.
And rather than filling their products with a lot of ingredients, the most they use is nine, keeping it simple with natural oils, waxes and minerals that do an effective job, benefit our skin, and don’t harm the planet.
After being impressed by the amount of information on their site about their sunscreens - including an entire page detailing their transparancy and an FAQ that perfectly cites sources supporting their research - I decided to try their products for myself.
I bought the All Natural Mineral Body & Face Sunscreen SPF 30, the All Natural Mineral Day Cream SPF 20, and the All Natural After Sun Balm Eucalyptus & Jojoba.
I should say here that all their sunscreens bar the day cream are SPF 30, as the difference between this and SPF 50 is only 1% and requires using more than just zinc oxide in their products. But as I have used SPF 30 sunscreens my whole life anyway, I decided this would be the perfect test to see if a pure, natural mineral sunscreen can protect just as well as a standard sunscreen.
So without further ado, let’s begin!
Body & Face Sunscreen SPF 30
When I first bought this product it was packaged in a cylindrical pump, which I wasn’t a fan of as I never knew how much was left. But since then Suntribe redesigned the packaging, instead using a recyclable sugar cane tube where I can squeeze every last drop of sunscreen out.
I could tell immediately that the texture was thicker than what I was used to, but not by much. It also has a grainy-feel to it because of the zinc oxide, but this disappears as you rub it into your skin.
Again, as it’s entirely natural and isn’t fragranced, it doesn’t smell like usual sunscreen. It smells better. It contains cacao-seed butter, which gives the cream a subtle chocolatey scent that smells good enough to eat.
The sunscreen also contains sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, and vitamin E, so is incredibly moisturising. It can be a bit tricky to rub in around hair on arms and legs, but does eventually disappear to leave a very subtle white cast. Rather than looking like a snowman, it just looks like I haven’t been in the sun for a while, which wasn’t a major concern while I swam or laid by a pool.
Suntribe's Face and Body sunscreen being applied to arms - the white cast can barely be seen.
Images by Alysia Georgiades
Throughout the day I can definitely feel the sunscreen on my skin, especially if I cross my arms or legs, and could see bits of the white cream in my elbow creases. But generally this didn’t concern me. Any sunscreen feels greasy or tacky, and as I was in the water most of the time, I barely noticed.
I made sure to re-apply every couple of hours, and only burned once when I spent too long in the water, which isn't the sunscreen's fault. No one else burned at the time, and no one has since, applying the cream on warm, sunny days and having nothing more than a subtle tan, or no tan at all by the evening.
This sunscreen might not be for everyone as it is heavy, but as it is exactly what I was looking for, and I feel completely safe when I use it knowing I’m not harming myself (so long as I find shade when necessary) or the environment, the texture and slight white cast are two factors I can endure.
Day Cream SPF 20
I had been looking for a daily SPF for a while when I found this product, for the days where I knew I would be outside for a long time, but didn’t need SPF 30 protection. I couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered Suntribe had made their own, as most daily sunscreens on the market are either synthetic so you can’t feel it, use nano particles so you can’t feel it, or act as a foundation or tinted moisturiser, which are products I rarely use.
I could tell online this product was tinted, but not because it is a tinted moisturiser. As a daily mineral sunscreen, Suntribe know people would rather not walk around with a white cast on their face, so the tint makes it easy to use all year round.
It arrived in a recyclable aluminium tube, and at first I was surprised by the consistency. Less cream, more paste-like as I struggled to squeeze it out the tube. But over time I discovered the texture changes in different temperatures, and is most easily applied in warm weather, which should come as no surprise.
Suntribe's daily SPF being applied to arms - the thick product is practically invisible once rubbed in.
Image by Alysia Georgiades
Living in the UK though, this does mean that it isn’t always easy to apply. The small grainy parts of the cream are difficult to rub in sometimes, and because of the thick texture and the fact it sits on the skin, it’s not a quick-application-and-out-the-door situation.
But like with their standard sunscreen, I didn’t mind these minor inconveniences for the fact it gave me effective sun protection when I needed it, and didn’t disrupt my skin in any way. I have never burned, it doesn’t leave a white cast, and essentially benefits my skin as well as blocking UV rays. You can feel it on your face the same way you can feel a light to medium coverage foundation on your face, and as it’s tinted, you don’t need both.
Despite its name it is not a product I would wear every day, but I wouldn't wear any daily sunscreen everyday. It is the best solution to a natural, mineral daily sunscreen I have come across, and I am thankful it exists.
Eucalyptus & Jojoba After Sun
I feel like that summery, fresh, cooling smell and feel of after sun is universal, and one that sends everyone back to their summer holidays.
After sun’s purpose is to help the skin cool down after a long day outside, reduce redness, soothe any minor burns, and moisturise the skin, whilst smelling divine.
I decided to try Suntribe’s because of how natural it is. No preservatives, no water even, just a combination of some seriously impressive oils that heal the skin.
And it is unlike any other after sun I have tried. Usually very runny and easily absorbed, Suntribe’s after sun is the opposite, almost like a balm which softens up in the heat and leaves a nourishing layer of goodness on your skin.
The wax-like after sun melts in the heat and coats the skin in a healthy shimmer at the end of a day.
Images by Alysia Georgiadeses
It doesn’t smell like classic after sun because it doesn’t contain any fragrance, just five powerful ingredients including eucalyptus, which is the dominant scent. The remaining four are shea butter for hydration; jojoba oil and tamanu seed oil to repair damage; and peppermint oil for cooling and soothing the skin.
It does take a while to absorb, but it also helps reduce redness and inflammation, while moisturising my skin. I have even used it as an all-round body butter outside of the summer months.
Again, if you like fast-absorbing, non-greasy lotions, this after sun is not for you. Otherwise it is extremely effective at the job it has, lasts a very long time as you don't need much, and really does do wonders for your skin, especially after a day in the sun.
Final thoughts
I do really like these products. They tick every box on my list, don’t harm my health or the planet's, and are generally an incredible environmentally-conscious brand. There is also no doubt Suntribe's products will continue to evolve, having already launched a kids vanilla-scented sunscreen and colourful visible sunscreen sticks.
Not everyone will like how they feel, but if you don’t mind a slightly heavier consistency, and appreciate how groundbreaking Suntribe's products are, they are worth trying. Suntribe are committed to worry-free, effective suncare, and that is exactly what they provide.
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