Looking for sunscreens these days isn’t hard. But looking for natural sunscreens with limited chemicals can be harder- especially if you are trying to get as much product for your dollars as you can. Often, the more expensive “natural” sunscreens contain significantly less sunscreen than the cheaper, more-chemicals-added popular sunscreens. And when I say “natural,” these sunscreens may claim to be natural when they still contain harmful chemicals. Knowing ingredients and what added chemicals are harmful will be helpful in finding the right sunscreen. Recently I’ve been on the lookout for a more natural sunscreen that doesn’t break the college student’s bank account. While I haven’t found many natural/organic products at Walmart before, I came across this sunscreen brand called Hang Ten. After doing a quick run through of the few ingredients it contained, I bought the 6 fl oz bottle for $10 and was ready to test it at the beach. Well, after multiple beach trips and applications, I have to say I would give this product a ‘A’ rating (see a breakdown of my ratings below). I bought the Classic Sport 50 edition which provided the coverage and protection I need- especially as a fair skinned sun loving girl. REMEMBER: Everyone should wear sunscreen and use sun protection- whatever your skin tone may be. See more tips at http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection

Hang Ten 50 Classic Sport (Natural Sunscreen UVA/UVB Protection) Ratings:

Burn Protection: 10 This product deserves a 10. Yes, I did receive a few minor burns one or two times. However, this was a result of not reapplying enough (such as after being on the beach for a few hours or being in the water). When I applied heavily, such as every few hours, or especially on a hot day, after sweating, I did not receive burns. For a natural sunscreen, I was very impressed with the protection levels. My tips? Apply sunscreen all over your body before you head out to the beach/pool/lake. Sunscreen is meant to be applied before sun exposure (usually 15 minutes before) so applying at home will give the sunscreen time to “soak in” to your body. Then, reapply frequently after arriving at the beach and especially after swimming and/or sweating.

Application (Does the sunscreen stay oily/Does it clump, etc.): 8 What I love about this product is how light it feels when applying. Some sunscreens make you feel a bit weighted down but not this one. The one downside would be that the sunscreen sometimes is oily. That is, my face is shiny after application. However, most sunscreens are this way and I would rather have a slightly oily looking face and be protected from the sun, than have no protection at all. And I’ve used sunscreens in the past that have not made my face oily, but made my face a couple shades lighter because of the ingredients. So sometimes you just have to compromise a bit haha! Just make sure you shake up the bottle before applying so that the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 

Smell: 9 For a natural product with a “signature beach themed all-natural non-synthetic scent,” this stuff smells pretty good. Just apply, lay out at your pool, and feel as if you are in the tropics. Since the scent is not synthetic, it might not smell as good as the commercial products with chemically created scents, but you’ll grow to love the natural, light scent soon enough.

Ingredients: 10 Contains some organic and natural ingredients. No Oxybenzone, Parabens, and Retinyl Palmitate. What’s not to love? For a full list of ingredients, click here.  For more information on finding natural, safe sunscreens check out the following sites:

https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/health-and-beauty/general-skin-care/sun-protection/sunscreen-labels http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/the-skin-cancer-foundations-guide-to-sunscreens http://www.prevention.com/beauty/natural-beauty/how-find-best-natural-sunscreen http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Safest-Sunscreens-23146248

What’s your favorite natural, organic, or limited-chemical-ingredient sunscreen?