A good sunscreen’s hard to find. Only eight percent of sunscreens on the market are safe and effective, according to Environmental Working Group — and many of the sunscreens that make up the minuscule eight percent leave behind a white pallor, making you look ghostly when enjoying the summer sun.

If avoiding that pallid hue has you avoiding better-for-you sunscreens, try Sunumbra sunscreen. This micronised zinc oxide sunscreen offers SPF 30+ protection and will not leave you any paler than you already may be. Plus, the sweetish-smelling lotion smooths on easily, unlike some of the thicker sunscreens that require a lot of work to spread over your skin.

Sunumbra sunscreen isn’t listed on Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen guide yet, but other micronized zinc oxide sunscreens are on EWG’s “Best Sunscreens” list — so long as their other ingredients are also safe. All of Sunumbra’s inactive ingredients get a “low hazard” score on EWG’s cosmetic safety database Skin Deep. In fact, many of the ingredients in Sunumbra are derived from antioxidant rich plants. The green rooibos extract i organic certified, while the kigelia and aloe ferox extracts are wild-sourced.

The one downside of Sunumbra sunscreen: The stuff goes on greasy — and gets absorbed by the skin rather slowly. This feature makes the sunscreen easy to put on, but also leaves the now-sunscreened person feeling a bit oily for a while.

I plan to use Sunumbra for times when a little greasiness isn’t an issue, like when I’m laying out reading a book on the beach. A 3.5-ounce tube costs $29.70 on Sunumbra’s website.

Earlier:
>> When SPFs lie: Only 8% of sunscreens are safe and effective
>> California Baby: Safe, effective, and pricy sunscreen
>> Caribbean Solutions Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard
>> Elemental Herbs Sunscreen Sport: Safe sun protection for the pinkish

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