Natural Instinct Are Now Disclosing Their Sunscreen Ingredients

If you're at all familiar with Hello Charlie, you'll know that one of the things I go on about endlessly is ingredients. Read the ingredients on the back of the pack, I say, and you'll avoid the greenwash on the front. Where it gets difficult is with sunscreen. Sunscreen manufacturers don't have to disclose their ingredients, because the TGA and the ACCC agree that they are 'commercially sensitive'. So when I'm busily researching sunscreens for our Sunscreen Cheat Sheet, I often get replies from manufacturers saying that they won't disclose their ingredients, because they don't have to. Fair enough, I always say, you don't have to disclose, but we don't have to buy. One of these manufacturers was a local Melbourne company, Natural Instinct.

Last year, I emailed Natural Instinct to ask them about their sunscreen ingredients, and their reply was pretty much standard. Not disclosing, don't have to, etc, etc. I checked their website again earlier this year when I was updating the Cheat Sheet, and still couldn't see any ingredients, so I moved on. Just after the Cheat Sheet was published, however, I was super pleased to get an email from Natural Instinct telling me that they'd reformulated their sunscreens and that the new packaging and the new website would list full ingredients. How's that for a result? That's Natural Instinct listening to their customers - that's you and me - and giving us what we want because WE ASKED FOR IT! Consumer power right there in action. Isn't it exciting when you change the world for good? Okay, so I may be getting a little over the top there, but I was just so pleased about it. It really does go to show that if you want something changed, make sure that you go and tell the manufacturer about it. The next thing, of course, is to check the ingredients. I have to admit that I really wanted them to be good. It would be too awful if after all that, I didn't like the ingredients and couldn't recommend the sunscreen. Well, rest easy, because they're looking good. In fact, they're looking great. Here's a rundown:

Natural Instinct Kids Sunscreen 

Ingredients: Active: Zinc Oxide 220 mg/g. Inactive: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera (Grape seed) Seed Oil, Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla wax), Cera Alba, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Camellia Sinensis Leaf (Green tea) Extract, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil.

The first thing that jumps out at me, in fact the only thing, is aluminum starch octenylsuccinate. It's used as an anti-caking agent to prevent powdery ingredients like zinc from forming into clumps. This is an issue with zinc, and it's one of the reasons why you should never make your own sunscreen - it's too hard to formulate so that the zinc gives you even protection. But I digress. The aluminum starch octenylsuccinate looks scary, because of the word aluminium, but it's actually a safe ingredient. EWG Skindeep gives it a 2, so they consider it safe. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel consider it safe, too.

All the other ingredients in this sunscreen are great, and I have no hesitation in recommending it. One of the things that I really love about Natural Instinct Kids Sunscreen (although your kids will probably hate it) is that it goes on white. That means that when you're at the beach trying to apply sunscreen to a wriggly child, you can see where you've put the sunscreen and where you haven't. My eldest hates this, I love it. No more peeling ears because I can't see whether I've got to them or not!

Natural Instinct Tinted Face Sunscreen

Ingredients: Active: Zinc Oxide 220 mg/g. Inactive: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera (Grape seed) Seed Oil, Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla wax), Cera Alba, Glyceryl Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic acid, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Aqua, Camellia Sinensis Leaf (Green tea) Extract, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, CI 77492, CI 77491,CI 77499.

The ingredients in Natural Instinct's tinted face sunscreen are also awesome, and you don't feel quite as silly with tinted sunscreen on your face as you do with the kids white face sunscreen. I'm not sure that I could wear it every day, but then I can't wear foundation every day either! It's awesome sun protection if you're sitting on the beach for a couple of hours.

Natural Instinct Invisible Sunscreen

Ingredients: Active: Zinc Oxide 220 mg/g. Inactive: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera (Grape seed) Seed Oil, Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate , Euphorbia Cerifera Cera (Candelilla wax) , Cera Alba, Glyceryl Isostearate, Polyhydroxystearic acid, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Aqua, Camellia Sinensis Leaf (Green tea) Extract, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil.

The Natural Instinct Invisible Sunscreen is my favourite. The ingredients are excellent, but somehow it goes on almost clear. It's slightly visible, but only slightly (I was applying it pretty generously, too). What I really love, though, is that it's not greasy at all. My sunscreen-averse eldest child didn't mind this at all. For me, that's a huge win, as getting him to put sunscreen on is a battle and a half.

The verdict

The final factor is cost, as natural sunscreens can be expensive. These are very reasonable for natural sunscreens - the kids and the invisible sunscreens are $15.95 for 100g, and $21.95 for 200g, and the tinted sunscreen is $17.95 for 100g. I'm really pleased to be able to tell you that these are great sunscreens with great ingredients, at a good price, and they're not greasy or unpleasant to wear. I'll definitely be adding these to my beach bag this summer, so thanks, Natural Instinct!