The search for cruelty-free UVA SPF30+ facial suncare.

28 January 2015

Jesus, what a title. Let's brake that down a bit.


  • cruelty-free?  Made by a brand that does not test on animals (ingredients & final products), does not sell in the Chinese market (where it is required by law to test), and is not owned by a parent company (L'Oréal, Shiseido, Kosé) that sells in China or might test for other "reasons" 
  • UVA?  From Hirons: "UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin, gradually destroying elasticity and causing premature ageing." I'm 23 and getting older. I want my skin to look like it does now when I'm 43. I want this stuff in my skincare regimen. If a product contains SPF, it protects for UVB but not necessarily UVA (source)
  • SPF30+?  I need a sunscreen that has a protection factor of 30 or higher because I am pale-ass-pale. Also I have a family history of melanoma so the more I can do to ward off that, the better. 
  • facial?  No, not the one where I get pampered sitting in a chair. I want a sunscreen product that's formulated to be used on the face. Or at least claims to be suitable to both body and facial use.

It sounds like I am asking for a lot here. And after spending a couple hours researching through Paula's Choice and blog recommendations, it was becoming more apparent that maybe this is a lot to ask for. There are of course a lot of products that tick all the boxes except cruelty-free. Then some that are cruelty-free but don't have high enough SPF. Or are marketed as a beauty balm, not a sunscreen. Or marketed as a moisturiser with SPF rather than a just pure and simple sunscreen.

Putting an all-call out on twitter did yield some results. Bless you, Twitter. So here's what I've narrowed my options down to.

Andalou Naturals Oil Control BB SPF 30  £12.23  //  $19.95
Although this is a BB Cream, it is untinted. It claims to be mattifying which interests me as I struggle with T-zone shine. Katie Vibes, a cruelty-free blogger I've recently come across, has a great review on it that's definitely bumped it up to a top contender. But I want something that will sit well on top of my moisturiser, not replace it. Will this do that?
Rec'd by Jenn and Caroline.

Paula's Choice Clear Ultra-Light Daily Mattifying Fluid SPF 30+  £29
This takes the cake as the most expensive of the bunch. The reviews on the Paula's Choice downplay it's mattifying prowess but say it layers well over moisturiser, which is exactly what I'm looking for.
Rec'd by Eline.

Rituals 50 Sun Protection Face Cream  £18.50
Finally, we get to a dedicated facial sunscreen. Its high SPF appeals to me and even better, I can walk to House of Fraser to pick it up. Minimise that carbon footprint, get some exercise, don't have to stay in all day to wait for the post man.
Rec'd by Wiete.

Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 50  £18.50
Love the price tag compared to the other Paula's Choice option. Less cash, higher SPF. Big fan of the non-greasy. Some reviews have mentioned unpleasant stinging reactions to this though. Luckily, you can get a sample of this from the site for 70p so you can try before you buy.

Jane Iredale Powder-Me SPF Dry Sunscreen  £28.75
This was in my basket to check out just the other day. But I'm wary about a powder sunscreen. It's SPF30 which is great. The blogs I browsed gave it positive write ups while the Paula's Choice review was pretty damning. Could this be used as an SPF setting powder maybe? I feel like I'd be more confident I got full coverage with a liquid.

100% Pure Everywhere Sun Stick SPF 30  £16
The creamy formula provides easy-to-blend coverage that never feels sticky and won’t clog pores. Music to my ears. But it is a stick. Like a glue stick? I haven't seen many reviews of this online so kind of tempted to get it just so I can figure it out for everyone.
Rec'd by Dina.

Let me know if I've missed anything. And if you've used any of these, how did you get on with them? I'll let you know what I end up getting!

16 comments

  1. I'm trying to get into cruelty free products so this sounds pretty awesome. I didn't realize so many brands didn't do cruealty free, thats pretty sad. Please write a post or make a youtube vid if any of these work for you! :)

    htto://www.wallflowerstories.com

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    1. Will do! Glad to hear you are getting into to cruelty-free stuff :)

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  2. This is perfect for me now! (It's summer and I'm ginger, you do the math) They might be a little hard to get since i don't live in the UK but cruelty free suncream is really hard to come by. My country (Argentina) has a whole bunch of excelent vegan-cruelty free stuff but it's mostly just hair products which makes switching to cruelty free VERY hard.

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    1. If you're ginger, stick with those high SPFs fo sho. Great to hear Argentina's CF & vegan options for y'all! Let me know what suncream you end up going for :)

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  3. Great picks and thanks for the shout-out. :-) I've never really tried layering the Andalou over anything heavier than a hydrating serum, so unfortunately I cannot answer your question! However, I know for a fact that it won't fare too well over anything silicone-based. Let me know if you'd like me to send you a sample, as I know it's a bit awkward to get hold of x

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    1. Thank YOU for producing such kick ass content to link to! You are so kind to offer hooking me up with a sample. Might take you up on that!

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  4. I'm definitely going to give the Andalou one a shot! Another one I love is Blue Lizard, they have face and sensitive skin varieties and neither have broken me out. It's the only brand I've found that protects my Watsky-esque pale-ass-pale skin! (Not sure if they have a parent company that tests, but their brand itself is cruelty free!)

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    1. I'm very tempted by Andalou as well.

      Looks like Blue Lizard is owned by Crown Laboratories, an Australian company that produces prescriptions as well as consumer healthcare products. Animal testing bans don't extend to the pharmaceutical industry so I'd use your own personal judgment there on continuing to buy Blue Lizard or not. These things are messy sometimes!

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  5. Hey Marion - I totally recommend the Paula's Choice Hydralight Shine-Free SPF 30! I've been using it for over a year now and it's honestly the only moisturizer on the market that I can use on my sensitive skin. I know you're not looking for a moisturizer + SPF, but considering it's two products in one, it saves you money and time! I find it to be super gentle and effective - the mineral base leaves a bit of a white caste on the face but I wear makeup over it so it's fine. Even when I use it at nighttime I find the whiteness fades after a few minutes. I'm also extremely pale so I can't say I notice much of a difference anyway! As for protecting against UVB rays, I'm not sure. I know the Skin Recovery version of this product lists it as protecting against both UVA and UVB, so I imagine this product does too considering they are almost the same. I know Skin Recovery is also a great option too - I use the toner and it works great even though my skin isn't dry, I just prefer the texture over the other kinds they offer. But I'd recommend buying a ton of samples from their site and just testing them out! That's what I did when I first switched over to their products and it really helped me choose the right products! Their customer service is also really helpful and fast, I use it all the time when I'm shopping.

    Good luck in your search!

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    1. Thanks, Lauren! Great to get some info on someone who uses the Paula's Choice one.

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  6. Badger is natural and cruelty free, but not vegan (beeswax). I've used it and I like it enough! I also like it because i can get it at my drugstore.

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    1. I've never heard of this brand! I'll have to check it out--thanks for the suggestion :)

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  7. I want all of that + one good for oily/acne-prone skin. Gah I guess I just want it all #sharpayflashbacks

    But yes thank you for how organized this post was. Big fan.

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  8. I really like the Supergoop products. From what I can tell they are cruelty free (which was a joy to find out) and also check your other boxes.

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    1. Awesome, SpaceNK seems to carry a couple of their products! Where did you find your info that they are cruelty-free? I'm interested in having the source so I can ad it to my CF-master list. Great find, Ava!

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