Skin Cancer Has Always Run in My Family. But When I Learned That 5 Sunburns Can More Than Double Your Risk of Melanoma...

That's when I started reading labels. What I found was a mineral sunscreen made with ingredients people have used on their skin for centuries, one that helps protect and moisturizes in the same step.

I don't remember a time when skin cancer wasn't part of our family conversation.

My grandfather had spots removed every single year. My aunt did too. At every reunion, somebody was "getting something looked at."

I grew up thinking that was normal.

Then one night I was scrolling on my phone and read a line that stopped me cold.

I started counting.

The spring break trip where I fell asleep on the sand. The lake summer when I peeled for two weeks. The "base tan" phase I'm still embarrassed about. The shoulders I forgot on the boat.

I stopped at seven.

And that was only the ones I remembered.

I Started Paying Attention to Everything I Put on My Skin

I can't undo a single one of those sunburns.

But I could decide what went on my skin from that day forward.

And I had a confession. I never actually liked wearing sunscreen.

The stinging in my eyes. The greasy film by noon. Or the chalky mineral formula that left me looking dusted with flour.

So I skipped it more often than I'd admit.

A sunscreen you keep finding reasons not to wear can't do much for you.

See the sunscreen I could finally stick with →

Then I Did the Math

Put sunscreen on once every morning for 50 years, and that's more than 18,000 times.

Add every beach day. Every reapplication. Every trip.The number only climbs.

Thousands of applications, over decades, on the skin I'll live in for the rest of my life.

Suddenly I wasn't just picking a sunscreen. I was picking something I'd be putting on my skin for a very long time.

I wanted ingredients I could recognize.

See the sunscreen I could finally stick with →

And Then I Found Out How Old These Ingredients Really Are

A friend told me about a tallow-based mineral sunscreen. I laughed.Tallow? In sunscreen?

So I did what I do now. I read up.Almost everything in that tube has been around far longer than sunscreen itself:

Zinc oxide

Zinc compounds appear in an ancient Indian medical text from around 500 BCE, in a salve called pushpanjan.

Beeswax

In the second century, the Greek physician Galen mixed beeswax, oil and rose water into what is considered the first cold cream.

Jojoba

Native American cultures of the southwestern deserts rubbed jojoba oil on their skin and hair long before it reached a store shelf.

Tallow

Medieval European cosmetic texts, like De Ornatu Mulierum, tied to Trotula of Salerno, included animal fats in their facial-care recipes.

None of it is new.

What's new is someone finally putting it all in one tube: a sunscreen that helps protect your skin and moisturizes it in the same step.

To be clear, the UV protection comes from the zinc oxide. The tallow, jojoba and beeswax are there to nourish your skin and make it comfortable to wear every day.

The Brand That Refused to Accept "That's Just How Mineral Sunscreen Feels"

Sky & Sol Face & Body Sunscreen is built on 25% non-nano zinc oxide, in a broad spectrum SPF 50 formula.

The zinc is coated in cold-pressed jojoba so the particles don't clump together. They call it Anti-White Cast Tech™. Over 92% of surveyed customers said it leaves less white residue than other mineral sunscreens they've tried.

The brand is also honest about it. SPF 50 is thicker and can leave slightly more visible residue than the SPF 30, so there's a lighter option if that matters most to you.

Active ingredient: 25% Non-Nano Zinc Oxide

Supporting ingredients: Water, grass-fed and grass-finished tallow, jojoba oil, jojoba ester, lecithin, beeswax, kaith bark, babassu starch, radish root ferment filtrate

No oxybenzone. No octinoxate. No intentionally added parabens. No added artificial fragrance.

It's broad spectrum, 80 minutes water resistant, dermatologist-approved and non-comedogenic. Heavy metal testing results are available for anyone who wants to review them.

Sun protection measures: Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To decrease this risk, regularly use a sunscreen with a Broad Spectrum SPF value of 15 or higher and other sun protection measures including: limit time in the sun, especially from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and sunglasses.

Review the formula and the testing information →

The First Time I Used It

I expected the usual letdown.

It went on richer than the gel I was used to, but nothing like a paste. It spread easily. It blended in. My skin felt moisturized, not coated. And there was no stinging near my eyes.

For the first time, I didn't have to talk myself into putting on sunscreen.I wanted to.

What Real Customers Are Saying

★★★★★

Great for kids!

I love this product and it's so great as a parent to protect our children from sunburn while also being confident in the ingredients we put on their skin!

Angela Ames

★★★★★

Works as advertised!

I'm very satisfied with this sunscreen! It's easy to apply & the protection is excellent! It's not greasy & absorbs quickly. I really like that I can touch my skin and not have a greasy feeling. It also doesn't Leave a white film on my skin.

Elizabeth Burns

★★★★★

Silky Smooth

I applied it on myself and my kids before a full day of soccer and none of us got even a little pink.

Emily Goble

All reviewers received compensation, regardless of whether their review was positive or negative. Results may vary.