A natural sunscreen will provide a physical block or barrier against UV rays using mineral ingredients. The best natural sunscreen will be made up of only a few natural and mineral ingredients to ensure it protects you from harmful UV rays without irritating the skin.

The esmi Skin Shield SPF is not only a natural sunscreen, but it is also a non-greasy lightweight formulation making it a great option for oily/acne prone skin through to sensitive skin types. This natural sunscreen only contains 5 ingredients, all of which are vegan, cruelty free and reef safe - making it an excellent choice not only for your skin but for the environment as well!

Many sensitive skin types struggle to find a sunscreen that won’t irritate or flare up their skin, so the best chemical-free sunscreen to look for is one that contains few ingredients to prevent any irritation.

The esmi Skin Shield SPF is an Australian made, vegan, natural sunscreen containing five natural and plant derived ingredients - Zinc Oxide for sun protection, Hyaluronic Acid for hydration, Carrot Root Oil for powerful anti-ageing antioxidants, Cucumber for skin soothing Vitamin C and Green Tea skin calming antioxidants.

If you don’t have access to sunscreen, it is best to stay out of the sun completely or cover up with a physical blocker like clothing. To put it simply, there is nothing that can replace using a good quality sunscreen. Sunscreen should be a vital part of your morning routine every day! Whether it’s winter, summer, raining or sunny! Applying a natural sunscreen is the number one prevention for premature skin ageing, and will protect against harmful UV rays which cause skin cancer and pigmentation.

If you don’t have access to sunscreen, it is best to stay out of the sun completely or cover up with a physical blocker like clothing, hats and sunglasses.

The sun emits two kinds of ultraviolet rays (UV rays) that reach our skin all year round.

UVA rays are long ultraviolet waves that can penetrate into the deepest layers of the dermis and destroy the skin’s structural protein - collagen.

When collagen is damaged, skin loses firmness and elasticity which leads to the visible signs of ageing on the face including sunspots, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

90% of the visible signs of ageing are due to UVA damage.

UVB, on the other hand, is a shorter ultraviolet ray which can’t penetrate the skin as deeply but still cause the visible and physical signs of sunburn; a red complexion which is hot and painful to touch. UVB also increases the risk of skin cancer, particularly melanoma.

Even on a cloudy day, up to 20% of the sun's harmful rays can penetrate your skin.

SPF stands for sun protection factor and indicates how well a sunscreen protects the skin against sunburn. It tells us how much longer it takes untanned skin to redden with sunscreen compared to how long it takes to redden without it.

According to the Australian Academy Of Science:

If it took 300 seconds for skin to burn with sunscreen, and 10 seconds to burn without it. 300 is divided by 10, which is 30. The SPF is 30.

Keep in mind, the SPF rating only refers to how well a sunscreen protects skin against UVB rays, not the deeper-penetrating UVA. For optimal protection choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen which will keep your skin protected from both UVA and UVB rays.

Chemical sunscreen is absorbed into the skin. The synthetic ingredients absorb the UV rays, convert them into heat and release them from the body so the skin isn’t damaged.

Natural sunscreen, also known as mineral sunscreen or physical sunscreen, protects skin by forming a layer on the skin’s surface. Unlike chemical sunscreen, the ingredients are natural and will include zinc oxide which is nature’s best sun protection ingredient.