$4.99 – $23.99
Sun Shield is a natural sun protection lotion (not a sunscreen) that soothes skin and protects against free radical damage at a cellular level. Organic, cold-pressed oils and butters are rich in antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties, natural SPF, and are high in vitamins A, C, and E to soothe and protect your skin naturally.
We love the sun (and all the vitamin D it provides)…but we don’t love the skin damage excessive exposure can cause. Traditional sunscreens contain potentially cancer-causing ingredients like avobenzene. Safer options contain physical blockers, like zinc oxide. Both help avoid burns, but also block vitamin D.
We decided to go for a new approach to skin health! Give Sun Shield a try!
Key Ingredients:
- Olive Oil – SPF 3-5, soothes skin
- Avocado Oil – SPF 15, anti-inflammatory
- Raspberry Oil – SPF 25-50, phytosterols
- Mango Butter – SPF 4, rich in vitamin A and antioxidants
- Comfrey – repairs skin, antioxidant
- Calendula – antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
ABSOLUTELY NO colors, flavors (natural or artificial), preservatives, added sugar, sodium benzoate, citric acid, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, top allergens (corn, soy, nuts, gluten, dairy, fish) or other junk!
Learn More:
NOTE: Sun Shield 6 oz size is being discontinued. We will no longer make the 6 oz size once the stock is gone.
Description
Sun Shield is a sun protectant lotion that provides a completely natural way of safeguarding your skin from sun damage. This lotion doesn’t absorb the sun’s rays or reflect them. Instead, it penetrates deeply into the skin to help protect against damage at the cellular level. Raspberry seed oil protects against UVA and UVB rays, while the oils and butters naturally have SPF ranging from 2 to 50 SPF each.
We use pure, plant-based oils infused with whole organic herbs that are rich in antioxidants. This formula nourishes your skin, blocks free radicals, all while protecting your skin from redness, wrinkles, and damage. Please keep in mind that Sun Shield is not an official sunscreen. Depending on your skin type, you may prefer to pair this with a mineral-based sunscreen for particularly hot or sunny days or you may find it to be enough protection on its own. Looking for an after-sun lotion? Try Sun-Soothe!
Benefits:
- Protects skin against skin damage at a cellular level
- Promotes cellular repair and new skin growth
- Protects against UVA and UVB rays
- Nourishes and moisturizes skin
- Repairs skin damage
- Rich in antioxidants
- Oils with natural SPF
- Helps with dry, itchy skin
- Rich in Vitamin A, D, E
- Rich in omega-3s
- Anti-inflammatory properties
Don’t love your product? Contact us within 30 days and we’ll refund your money. The best way to reach us is through email at [email protected].
Ingredients
Complete Ingredients:
- Extra Virgin Olive oOil*
- Avocado Oil*
- Raspberry Seed Oil*
- Grapeseed Oil*
- Mango Butter*
- Comfrey Leaf*
- Dandelion Flowers*
- Calendula Flowers*
- Candelilla Wax
*Certified Organic Ingredients
Studies:
Olive Oil
- Hydroxytyrosol, a natural antioxidant from olive oil, prevents protein damage induced by long-wave ultraviolet radiation in melanoma cells – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Effect of Olive Oil on the Skin – ScienceDirect
- Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils – PMC (nih.gov)
Avocado oil
Raspberry seed oil
Grapeseed oil
- (PDF) THE EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANT OF GRAPESEED OIL AS SKIN ANTI-AGING IN NANOEMULSION AND EMULSION PREPARATIONS (researchgate.net)
- Grape Seed Oil Compounds: Biological and Chemical Actions for Health – PubMed (nih.gov)
Mango butter
- Vegetable butters and oils in skin wound healing: Scientific evidence for new opportunities in dermatology – PubMed (nih.gov)
- The effect of mangiferin on skin: Penetration, permeation and inhibition of ECM enzymes – PMC (nih.gov)
Comfrey leaf
Dandelion flowers
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4630464/Dandelion Extracts Protect Human Skin Fibroblasts from UVB Damage and Cellular Senescence – PMC (nih.gov)
Calendula flowers
Candelilla wax
Usage
Rub a small amount of our natural sun protection cream into all exposed areas of skin 10 – 15 minutes before going outside. Reapply every 2 – 3 hours. Use our stick version on the face, neck, and other areas you don’t want to apply an oily product.
Safety
Shelf Life: 1 year. Safe for ages 6mo+. Safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
This product and these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. We make no claims about the SPF rating of this product because it has not been tested in any lab (only real-world tests). It is not “official” sunscreen in any capacity. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure anything.
FAQs
Q: Is this a replacement for sunscreen? Is it a sunscreen?
A: Sun Shield is not a sunscreen. Products must contain either a chemical blocker (like oxybenzene) or a physical blocker (like zinc oxide) to legally be considered a sunscreen. Instead, Sun Shield uses plant oils and herbs that have a natural SPF and protect skin on a cellular level. Some people use it instead of a traditional sunscreen and some people use it along with a traditional sunscreen.
Q: What is the SPF of Sun Shield?
A: Because it is not legally a sunscreen, it doesn’t have an official SPF rating. However, based on the SPF of each plant oil in it, we estimate a level of 12 – 15.
Q: This is just a bunch of oils…isn’t that like cooking yourself in the sun?
A: No. Our skin naturally protects itself with oils! This will penetrate your skin to protect your skin at a cellular level. It will not make you ‘cook’ in the sun.
Q: Some of these oils are seed oils! I thought we were never supposed to use those? Won’t they become toxic when exposed to sun?
A: It’s best to avoid seed oils that have been heated to high temperatures, like when frying food, because they do become denatured and potentially toxic then. However, small amounts of raw, cold-pressed seed oils are fine, especially topically. The heat level at which these oils become denatured is at least 300 degrees F (which is fairly cool for cooking, but much higher than they would ever get on your skin). You’re safe here!
Q: Is Sun Shield strong enough for ________?
A: It varies greatly. Some people who are very fair can use it exclusively in strong sunlight and not burn. Others may burn even in moderate sunlight. It depends on genetics, tendency to burn, strength of sun, time of year, and even diet. A person who consumes an anti-inflammatory diet will be less likely to burn and experience more success with Sun Shield than those who eat more sugar, vegetable oils, and white flour. (Yes, really!)
Q: What if Sun Shield doesn’t work for me?
A: Like anything else, Sun Shield doesn’t work for 100% of people. We recommend trying it out during shorter sun exposure first (rather than a long day at the beach). If it doesn’t work, we have a money-back guarantee — just let us know.
Morgan (verified owner) –
This is the first product from Earthley that we have not been pleased with. We rarely use sunscreen, but I was excited about how this works– it also has ingredients I was completely on board with. My husband who easily tans used it and had the worst burn he has ever had. I already had some color on me but decided to try it while working on the garden for about 20 minutes and it fried ever area I put it on. It took a week of using Sun Soothe for he and I to heal, vs 2 applications for a regular sunburn. I’m not sure if we had a bad batch, but this product was a flop for us. I ordered a few for people when I ordered mine and everyone had the same thing happened and burnt incredibly bad. I hope at some point a sunscreen like this does exist because I really love the idea of it.
Leni (verified owner) –
I normally only use astaxanthin for sun protection, but decided to add this in for more protection. Unfortunately, both times that I have used the product, I have burned horribly, after only one hour in the sun.
Sarah (verified owner) –
I wanted to love this product. I have used plain red raspberry seed oil as a daily sunscreen for years now. Like the plain raspberry seed oil, this Sun Shield is adequate for daily outdoor activity like working in the garden or hanging laundry. But even with hourly re-applications it did not provide enough protection in the water. I got the worst burn of my life while using this in water, even on my arms where I had a base tan already. In the same amount of time I would never reapply my old mineral sunscreen and I never even got pink. I was hoping the addition of the wax would give it staying power but evidently not. Also my face broke out pretty bad when using this, though avocado oil often does that for me so it wasn’t that much of a surprise. As much as the mineral stuff is annoying, I’m happily going back to it. Five days and counting and hoping my burn soon stops being painful and red…
Suzy B –
Apparently this isn’t to be used like sunscreen? I’m so confused. I put on myself and my daughter before going in the lake. It isn’t creamy, more just like orange tinted olive oil. That doesn’t really bother me. But, I got burnt- Shoulders and back quite badly. (Luckily, my daughter didn’t get burnt!) When I told my rep, she said it isn’t meant to be used as sunscreen. It just makes no sense.
Linda McAuliffe (verified owner) –
I, too, LOVE Earthley products but got very badly burned after a day at the beach in Southern California. I blistered and am now peeling. It’s a NO GO for me.
Vicki (verified owner) –
I love Earthley products. I will always buy products from them. This product I did not like. I tan very easily in the summer and I can get pretty dark. I have always used the same sunscreen lotion for 20 years with an SPF of 8 and not burned. I go to the beach each summer for one week and that is the only time I spend time “tanning”. I used this product on the first day of my vacation and I applied it a few times, and got burned. I do not like the smell of it or the excessive oiliness of it. I used it on the second day and got more burn, tan too but red tan. For the rest of my vacation I used my old faithful. :(. The saving grace was the Earthley sun soothe, It was amazing. No stinging or pain from the burn at all. It is very oily and you only need a small amount.
Mallory (verified owner) –
I was really hoping I would love this product but I’m now sunburned and miserable so unfortunately I did not find it effective at all. My son also got more red than I would have liked. Luckily, I made a point to keep him in the shade as much as possible or he would have gotten burnt. Use with caution 🙁
crisjoy13 (verified owner) –
Definitely did not work for me! I’ve been outside every day this week for several hours each time with no sunscreen on and no burns. Today I decided to try my new Earthley sunscreen and got so burned! I was only outside for about an hour, and my arms even got burned which is super rare. I was so excited for this product, but for some reason it drastically amplified my burns. It was similar to just being outside with baby oil on. Use with caution!
Lindsey (verified owner) –
I really wanted to like this product since I love many of Earthley’s products. However, this product is very oily and runny so much so that you can’t set it down with the lid off or allow kids to put on themselves. We used this for the first time at a baseball game. We applied as soon as we got in our seats so we didn’t apply the 15 minutes prior like the directions say, so maybe that was the issue. We sat in the sun for 2 hours (noon-2) and then decided to move to shade since we were getting red. We aren’t ones to burn easily but we got burned this time.
Emily Fowler (verified owner) –
I wanted to love this product, but I’m mostly just left feeling really stupid. I applied this and went in the sun for about an hour to an hour and a half. I FRIED like a piece of chicken. I did not have anything on my face, for reference, and had no problems with it. Everywhere I applied Sun Shield my body burned very quickly. I wish I had read other reviews that warned fair-skinned people to be cautious using this product. As always, Earthley Customer Service was AMAZING. I asked about usage, and they gave me the run down that’s listed in the product description and also suggested using this product alongside a mineral sunscreen. This is NOT sunscreen. The representative told me it has an estimated spf of 12-15, so for me, it was like applying tanning oil. Great for some, but not at all for me.
Beth (verified owner) –
I really wanted to believe in this. The problem is that it is oil based and this will ruin your clothes. If you’ve ever spilled olive oil on an outfit while cooking and know that it is impossible to get the stain out, this is what this will do to your clothing. Do not recommend this at all.
Rita Mauro (verified owner) –
I love Earthley’s products – I use their shampoo, body wash, face cream – but I don’t like this product at all. It’s very oily & heavy.
Sabrina Slonim (verified owner) –
Yesterday I tried Sun Shield at the water park for 4 hours in UV Index 11 Sun. No burning AT ALL. I am very pleased with the product and will buy again.
I also love that it is moisturizing and absorbs well into the skin, which are just nice perks.
Jordan Hays (verified owner) –
I keep getting sunburnt while at the park with my kid so I finally bought this product instead of using the bad stuff I already own lol I put it on when we got to the park and to my surprise when I got home, I was relatively untouched. There’s a few spots that I missed and you can tell..which just shows how good it is! I have very fair skin and even thinking about being in the sun I swear I get burnt so this stuff is awesome! It is a bit different on consistency to what we all know but a little goes a long way.. it’s not super greasy like you’d expect. I only applied it once while we were at the park and we were there for over 2 hours. Love this for me and the kids!
Peyton Froehlich (verified owner) –
I love love love Earthley .. but this sunscreen is NOT good. I am a darker completed girl that rarely burns if I don’t have suncreen (I always wear sunscreen to protect my skin) and I got absolutely fried for the first time in my life with this on. I was outside from 1:30-3ish. UV was only a 7, so that’s why I gave it a shot before summer sun gets strong here. I really wanted it to work as I always choose natural alternatives, but sunscreen might be something I have to stick to “conventional” brands. Maybe I didn’t use it correctly? Bad batch? Not applying early enough?
Laura Hobden (verified owner) –
My daughter has been allergic to sunblock for 10 years. We have used so many that don’t work, but this one is amazing! It only takes a little and works very well!
Mia –
Hi… I love how everyone leaving a review is either praising or complains about this “sunscreen” burning them … WHAT PART OF “ITS NOT A SUNSCREEN TOLD TO YOU BY THE COMPANY DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND”. LOL!! People do NOT pay attention at all! Stop leaving bad reviews about it burning when it clearly states it’s NOT SUNSCREEN!
McKenzie Norton (verified owner) –
Bought for this summer! I use and am happy I can feel not guilty about putting it on my one year old! It’s moisturizing and works well! Smells fine too! Now if I can just get my husband to use any sunscreen! LOL
kowalski.jane81 (verified owner) –
I like that this product is all natural and will be using it on all my babies and is course myself as I tend to get the sun spots out of the family.
Sarah Wuerfel (verified owner) –
So far, I really like the sun stick for my baby. I keep it in our swim bag and it’s easy to apply right on his face. I thought it would be a thicker white formula but it’s more oily. It had worked for us so I’m happy with it.