We have changed the formula of our sunscreen!

In 2015 Naïf was the first brand in The Netherlands with a mineral sunscreen, because we believe that this is better than traditional sunscreen for various reasons. Because we were the first, we learned a lot and will continue to do so. Our goal is creating a mineral sunscreen without making compromises, that is sage (for human and planet), but also just as user friendly as traditional sunscreen products. That is why we evaluate and improve our formula every year again, no exception this year.

Mineral sunscreen

In our sunscreen we use a non-nano zinc oxide based UV-filter (if you want to learn more about UV filters you can do that here).  And that’s with good reason, because we believe that mineral sunscreen is best. Zinc oxide is a mineral that creates a protective layer on top of the skin that reflects harmful UV radiation. You can compare it to a mirror! Because zinc oxide does not penetrate the skin, but stays on top, chances of an allergic reaction are minimal and it offers immediate protection. Annually 14 million kilograms of sunscreen ends up in the ocean. You can imagine how important it is to use a sunscreen with a UV filter that does not have any negative effects on the ocean. Oxybenzone and octinoxate based UV filters are proven to be harmful to coral reefs. That’s why we stay away from these, and all ingredients that are a potential risk, and we chose to create a mineral sunscreen with a zinc oxide based UV filter.

Zinc oxide has many advantages, but there is one disadvantage: it can make the skin a little dry. This is exactly why it’s the main ingredient in our zinc cream which helps with diaper rash! To make sure the amount of zinc oxide in our sunscreen does not get too high we always add a booster made out of pongamia seeds. This booster enhances the power of the zinc oxide, so we can keep the amount of zinc in our sunscreen to a minimum.

Our changed formula

As we said before, mineral sunscreen is not always the most user friendly. It can be a bit harder to apply and can leave a white cast on the skin. It’s a compromise you have to make in exchange for a product that offers immediate protection, is mild for (sensitive) skin and does not do any damage to coral reefs. But we hope to reduce this compromise a little every year. That’s why, in the last years, we worked on easier application and less white cast. This year we added a second booster. 

The new booster is made of a new generation UV filter: bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine. This UV filter is lab-made, but does not penetrate the skin and offers protection from the outside. And of course it is not harmful to the planet, it’s completely safe! The UV filter bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine is already being used in The Netherlands, but the combination with our mineral zinc oxide based UV filter is unique! By combining the zinc oxide with the booster we can guarantee a high quality SPF and a safe sun experience for you and your family!

But wait, does this mean that our new formula is better than last years? Not necessarily. It just depends on how you look at it. Both formulas do exactly as promised: immediate and good protection against the sun. The yearly improvements make our sunscreen easier to apply and more nourishing. Also this year. Let us know what you think!

We know for sure that all our sunscreen protects as promised, because they all passed their tests. Woohoo! We let the testing be done by an independent lab, specialised in mineral sunscreen. Just so you know it’s real good stuff.

Available soon

Our changed sun formula will soon be available on our website and at Etos. Were you happy with our previous formula with mineral filter? Good news! Right now you can still get it on our website and it will still be for sale at a variety of Dutch stores.

Want to be the first to hear about the launch? Sign up for our newsletter and never miss a thing! And ofcourse we like to keep things transparent, so we will also share the results of our SPF tests with you.