I wanted to take a moment to share a slightly different story today, a behind-the-scenes look at our sunscreen. This launch has quite a story, and I want to be fully open about the choices we made and why.
Why sunscreen mattered from the start
When we started nourist, sunscreen was one of the most asked-about products. Many of you with sensitive skin told us that most sunscreens were too irritating for daily use. Some experienced breakouts, others found that their eczema patches flared up, while many still felt the formulas were heavy, sticky, or left a white cast. Finding something that felt comfortable and safe for everyday wear was a real challenge.
Finding the right balance
At nourist, choosing a mineral sunscreen might have seemed like the obvious step. Mineral filters are often perceived as healthy for the skin and better for the environment, which fits perfectly with our philosophy.
Years ago, I developed a mineral-based sunscreen with Marion Maakt, my first company. While it was suitable for many people with sensitive skin, over time I realized I was not fully satisfied with the formula. Mineral filters can feel thick or slightly drying, and even when the white cast is minimal, the texture can make the sunscreen less comfortable to wear daily. For some people, these effects are barely noticeable, and mineral sunscreens can work beautifully. For us, however, these drawbacks were significant enough that we could not be 100% convinced of the product.
For me, it is essential that I fully believe in a product before it reaches the shelves. That doesn't mean it will suit every skin type, but it does mean that the overall feedback must be overwhelmingly positive and I must personally feel confident that the formula lives up to our standards. That experience made us start over and completely rethink the sunscreen.
We spent years testing different combinations of UV filters, textures, and supporting ingredients until we found the balance we were looking for.
Modern UV filters
After years of testing, we chose modern, next-generation chemical UV filters that are both effective and gentle. They work mainly at the surface of the skin, where they absorb UV radiation and safely transform it. A small amount of absorption into deeper skin layers can occur, as with most topical ingredients, but current evidence shows this happens at significantly lower levels than with older chemical filters. The key advantage over those older filters is both the safety profile and the finish: lighter, smoother, and comfortable enough to wear every day.
Why we avoided certain filters and what the research shows
Not all chemical UV filters are equal, and we want to be honest about which ones gave us pause and why.
Octocrylene is probably the most discussed. A 2021 study from Sorbonne University and the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, published in Chemical Research in Toxicology, found that octocrylene degrades inside the product itself over time into benzophenone, a compound classified as a mutagen, carcinogen, and endocrine disruptor. The EU banned benzophenone as a cosmetic ingredient in November 2023. Octocrylene has since been prohibited in several territories including Palau and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Downs et al., Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2021
Avobenzone and homosalate raise different concerns. Between 2019 and 2020, the U.S. FDA published two clinical trials showing that both, along with four other commonly used chemical filters, are absorbed into the bloodstream after a single application at levels exceeding the threshold above which the FDA requires full toxicological safety assessment. The FDA has since reclassified them as lacking sufficient safety data. They are not banned, but the evidence required to confirm their long-term safety has not yet been fully provided by manufacturers.
Matta et al., JAMA, 2019 / Matta et al., JAMA, 2020
A note on absorption: skin absorption is something that happens with many ingredients, including natural ones. Oils, for example, are known to reach the bloodstream in small amounts, as studies on infant massage with plant oils have shown. This is generally not a cause for concern, the body processes and eliminates most of what it absorbs through the skin. What made these UV filters different in our assessment was not the fact of absorption itself, but the combination of higher absorption rates than most topical ingredients, open questions about hormonal activity specific to those molecules, and in the case of octocrylene, the documented degradation into benzophenone inside the product itself. Those three factors together were enough for us to look for better options.
The European Commission has also included several of these filters on their list of substances under evaluation for endocrine disruption.
What we use instead and what we actually know about them
Our formula contains four UV filters. We want to be honest about each one.
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine (Tinosorb S) is a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB filter with excellent photostability. Studies show minimal skin absorption. In vitro testing shows no estrogenic or androgenic activity. Data submitted to the FDA indicates it poses no risk to reproduction or fetal development in animal studies. Widely approved in Europe, Australia, and Asia, it is considered one of the most thoroughly safety-tested modern filters available.
Ethylhexyl Triazone is an oil-soluble UVB filter. Skin penetration studies show it remains primarily at the skin surface. It is EU-approved and widely used in European sunscreens without significant safety concerns in the current literature.
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a UVA filter with a high molecular weight, which limits its ability to penetrate through the skin.
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid (Ensulizole) is a water-soluble UVB filter that has been in use for decades. It is not a next-generation filter, but its safety profile is reassuring: clinical studies show skin absorption of less than 0.3% of the applied dose, no hormonal activity was found even at the highest tested concentrations, and it does not cross the blood-brain or placental barrier in animal studies. It is included in our formula primarily because its water solubility is what makes a lightweight texture possible.
None of our four filters are on any watch list for endocrine disruption. All four show low to very low skin absorption compared to the older filters they replace. The science is never fully finished, and we follow it actively. What we can say is that every choice was made with full awareness of what the current evidence shows.
What about the planet?
Environmental impact was also something we thought a lot about. It's easy to assume that a mineral sunscreen would be better for the planet, and in some cases mineral filters like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are considered reef-friendly because they don't contain the chemical UV filters associated with coral bleaching and other harm in marine ecosystems.
Research also shows that mineral filters can still make their way into waterways and ecosystems. Depending on how they're formulated and processed, their effects aren't yet fully understood. It's a reminder that every product we use has an impact, nothing we put on our skin stays only on our skin, and what washes off eventually reaches the world around us. I wish it were different, but the truth is that no sunscreen ingredient is completely harmless to the environment.
That doesn't mean we should stop using sunscreen, but it does mean we need to be thoughtful and realistic about environmental claims. Choosing modern filters allowed us to create a sunscreen that is gentle, effective, and responsibly formulated, without compromising on comfort or daily wearability, while recognizing that balance and mindfulness matter just as much for the planet as for your skin.
The fragrance decision
We also spent a lot of time thinking about fragrance. Our initial goal was a fragrance-free sunscreen, but our fragrance-free formula had a muffled smell from the raw ingredients, which made it unpleasant to use.
After testing new lab samples with a subtle natural scent on a wide range of sensitive skin types, we made a careful decision. For our first nourist sunscreen, we included a hypoallergenic natural fragrance. This fragrance is not synthetic, it is made from carefully selected parts of essential oils, and it was chosen to minimise irritation while keeping the experience enjoyable. We know fragrance can feel risky for sensitive skin, which is why we approached this choice with extreme caution.
Ideally, we would love to offer two options, one scented and one completely fragrance-free, but production costs make that challenging at this stage. This is something we hope to offer in the future.
Why SPF matters
Nowadays you read everywhere that you should wear sunscreen every single day. Honestly, that sometimes bothers me a little. It feels like the sun is being turned into a demon, and people are made to be afraid of sunlight. But the sun is life itself, without it, we literally cannot live.
There is no doubt that UV exposure contributes to skin aging. It has been thoroughly studied, and if your priority is to minimise wrinkles, then wearing SPF whenever you are exposed to the sun is one of the most effective steps you can take. Daily sun protection shields your skin from UV damage, helps prevent premature wrinkles and pigmentation, and supports overall skin vitality. Read more about slow aging in this blog.
That said, the sun itself is not your enemy, burning is. Burns are dangerous and should always be avoided, no matter your priorities. If wrinkles are not your main concern, you do not need to wear sunscreen every single day. What matters most is protecting yourself when it counts, avoiding burns, and finding a routine that works for your lifestyle.
A final note
Creating this sunscreen has been a journey, and being open with you about the choices we made is part of what nourist is all about. Every ingredient, every decision, every test was guided by our philosophy of care for your skin, for the planet, and for the experience of using it every day.
Want to try our sunscreen? You can find it here.
