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The Best Non-Toxic Face Sunscreens
We vetted face sunscreens against the Welpr Standard and here are our top picks.
Cofounder & Product Curator
Medical Reviewer, PhD
Here's what we look for:
- Mineral UV filters like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide
- Free from hormone disruptors like oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate
- No parabens, PEGs, phthalates, artificial dyes, or formaldehyde-releasing ingredients
- Fragrance-free or naturally scented (never synthetic “fragrance” or parfum)
- Full ingredient transparency from brands we trust
The Best Non-Toxic Face Sunscreens
On Welpr, terms like "non-toxic," "safer," "cleaner," "healthier," and "vetted" are editorial labels based on our own standard for product assessment. They are not guarantees, certifications, or medical claims. Learn more.
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How to Swap to Non-Toxic face sunscreens:
Here's how to swap to non-toxic face sunscreens:
What to know about face sunscreen
Face sunscreen is something many people wear daily, and it sits on your skin for hours — often on one of the most absorbent areas of your body. That's why the type of UV filter matters. Sunscreens use either mineral filters that sit on top of your skin or chemical filters that absorb into it.
- Mineral filters like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide reflect UV rays from the skin's surface and are far less likely to be absorbed into your body.
- Chemical filters like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and avobenzone have been linked to hormone disruption and tend to absorb into the bloodstream more readily.
Check your current sunscreen
Flip over your sunscreen and look at the active ingredients listed on the label. This tells you whether your sunscreen uses mineral or chemical UV filters. Use the Welpr Personal Care and Cosmetic Scanner to take a picture of the full ingredient label and flag any concerns.
- If the active ingredients list zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, you have a mineral sunscreen — if you see names like oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, homosalate, or octocrylene, it's a chemical one.
- Check the inactive ingredients too — look for terms like "fragrance," "parfum," or "artificial dye" which don't meet Welpr's standards.
Use your current sunscreen more wisely
If you're not ready to replace your sunscreen right away, a few small changes can help reduce how much your skin absorbs. Sunscreen is still important, so keep wearing it — just be strategic.
- Apply chemical sunscreen over a moisturizer or primer to create a light barrier between the formula and your skin.
- Prioritize switching your daily face sunscreen first since it's used most often and sits on thin, absorbent facial skin — a body-only chemical sunscreen used occasionally is lower priority.
Choose a cleaner face sunscreen
Look for a sunscreen that uses only mineral UV filters — zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both. Beyond the active filters, the rest of the formula should be free of synthetic fragrance, parabens, phthalates, and artificial dyes.
- Don't let white cast scare you off — many modern mineral sunscreens are formulated to blend well and work under makeup, so test a few to find one you'll actually enjoy wearing daily.
- Click the button above to shop Welpr Approved face sunscreen.
Camille May
Cofounder & Product Curator
Camille May is the co-creator of Welpr and a guide for clean living. After selling her last company in the health food space, she went non-toxic while working to heal an autoimmune condition....
Olushola M. Awoyemi
Medical Reviewer, PhD
Olushola M. Awoyemi (aka Shola) is a board-certified toxicologist and a research scientist with a PhD in Environmental Toxicology. Shola's long-term ambition is to be recognized as a world-renowned expert in toxicology,...