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SPF15+ Daily Moisturising Sunscreen: An Australian Naturopath's Middle Ground
The Polarisation Problem
The online conversation about sun and sunscreen has become almost impossibly polarised.
On one side: sun is toxic, SPF50+ every day, reapply every two hours, UV index apps, sun-protective clothing, stay indoors between 10am and 2pm. Fear-based messaging that treats our nearest star like a carcinogenic death ray.
On the other side: 'sunscreen is poison' and 'our ancestors didn't need sunscreen, just "build your solar callus."
vs. Contrarian wellness content that ignores the reality of serious levels of sun damage and skin cancer (BCC and SCC) in people who are out in the Australian sun all day- from dawn to dusk. It's more than just 'seed oils'.
Both camps are loud. Both have legitimate points buried under the hyperbole. And both leave thoughtful people – the ones who actually read research and understand nuance – without a clear path forward.
I'm a naturopath with Fitzpatrick type 2 skin living in SE Queensland, Australia. I don't have the luxury of ideology. I need a practical approach that acknowledges both the health benefits of sunlight and the reality that my fair skin will accumulate damage under Australian UV if I'm not careful.
This sunscreen is my answer. Not the only answer – but mine.
The Case for Moderate Daily Protection
Here's what I've observed after years of clinical practice and personal experimentation: the choice isn't between "maximum protection" and "no protection." It's about matching your sun strategy to your skin genetics, your lifestyle, and your health goals.
Full-spectrum sunlight has documented benefits. UVB triggers vitamin D synthesis. UVA, often vilified, plays a role in nitric oxide release and has emerging research around cardiovascular benefits. Morning light exposure helps regulate circadian rhythm. The sun isn't just tolerable – it's necessary for human health.
But dose matters. Like any powerful input – whether it's a herb, a supplement, or a pharmaceutical – sunlight exists on a spectrum from therapeutic to harmful. The difference is in the amount, the timing, and the individual receiving it.
I don't need SPF50+ to walk to the car, sit in my office, and run errands. What I need is moderate, stable, daily protection for the areas that accumulate incidental exposure: the backs of my hands, my forearms, my décolletage, my neck, my nose. The places that see sun every single day whether I'm "going to the beach" or not.
SPF15+ blocks approximately 93% of UVB radiation. SPF50+ blocks approximately 98%. The difference sounds significant until you realise that SPF15+ applied consistently and reapplied when needed will outperform SPF50+ that sits in a drawer because it feels like house paint.
Compliance matters more than numbers on a label.
Why I Made My Own
I spent years searching for a daily sunscreen that met my criteria:
Mineral-only UV filter. Zinc oxide is the gold standard – broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, excellent safety profile, sits on the skin rather than absorbing into it. No chemical UV filters that might act as endocrine disruptors. I have two preteen boys. The last thing I want is to protect them from sun damage while exposing them to compounds that may interfere with hormonal development.
Stable formulation. Many "lightweight" mineral sunscreens achieve their texture by adding water and emulsifiers – which creates instability. I've opened too many tubes to find a separated, globby mess months before the stated expiry date. If a sunscreen can't maintain its integrity, it can't maintain its protection.
Wearable texture. My children hate thick, heavy sunscreen. So do I. And a sunscreen that stays in the drawer provides exactly zero protection.
Clean ingredient list. No fragrance, no unnecessary additives, no ingredients that exist purely for marketing appeal. Just what's needed for effective, stable sun protection.
I couldn't find this product. So I made it. You'll find it here SPF15+ Daily Moisturising Sunscreen | Mineral Sun Protection | Nubeean Noosa
The Formulation
The base is simple: olive squalane for lightweight moisturisation, organic jojoba oil for skin compatibility, and local beeswax from chemical-free beekeepers for structure and barrier function. These aren't filler ingredients – they're the vehicle that makes the zinc oxide wearable.
The active is where it gets interesting.
We use a micronised zinc oxide that has been coated with jojoba esters. This coating serves multiple purposes: it helps the zinc disperse evenly through the formulation, improves spreadability on skin, and dramatically reduces the white cast that makes most zinc sunscreens unwearable for daily use.
This isn't nano zinc – the particles are micronised (larger than nano) to stay on the skin surface rather than penetrating. It's also not uncoated zinc oxide, which tends to clump and drag during application. The jojoba ester coating is a technical solution to zinc's main limitation as a cosmetic ingredient.
We've added silica microspheres to reduce oiliness and improve skin feel, plus jojoba esters for spreadability and vitamin E for antioxidant support.
That's it. Seven ingredients. No water means no preservatives needed. No emulsifiers means no stability concerns. The formulation won't separate because there's nothing to separate.
Full Ingredients
Zinc Oxide (Jojoba Ester Coated) 15% — Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, non-nano
Olive Squalane — Lightweight, non-comedogenic moisture that mimics skin's natural sebum
Organic Jojoba Oil — Nourishing carrier with natural affinity for skin
Local Beeswax — Structure and barrier; sourced from chemical-free beekeepers in our region
Jojoba Esters-70 — Improves spreadability, helps stabilise zinc dispersion
Silica Microspheres (MSS-500) — Reduces oily feel, improves application
Vitamin E — Antioxidant protection
A Note on SPF Claims
This sunscreen is not TGA registered, which means we can only claim SPF15+.
Here's what I'll say about that: TGA registration is a regulatory process, not a guarantee of real-world performance. Recent independent testing of TGA-approved SPF50+ sunscreens found that many performed dramatically below their stated SPF – some as low as SPF4. Registration tells you a product went through a process. It doesn't tell you the product in your hand, today, actually works.
Our ingredients are established. Zinc oxide at 15% in an anhydrous base will provide meaningful broad-spectrum protection. The formulation is stable because there's nothing in it that can destabilise. We're not making claims we can't support – we're making a product that does what it says.
For beach days, extended outdoor activity, or high-UV conditions, you'll want a higher SPF and more frequent reapplication. This isn't that sunscreen. This is for daily life – the incidental exposure that adds up over years and decades.
Part of a System
I don't think of sun protection as a single product. I think of it as a system.
Morning: Hydrate + Protect Skin Shield primes the skin with environmental defence – ectoine for barrier support, acetyl zingerone for post-UV protection, niacinamide and panthenol for skin health. Follow with vitamin C serum (our THD-C in squalane) for antioxidant support that doesn't conflict with later products. Then this sunscreen on exposed areas.
During the day: Strategic sun exposure. I cover my face, forearms, and décolletage – the areas that take daily exposure – and let sun reach my torso and upper legs for vitamin D activation and circadian benefit. Always wearing a hat, never wearing sunglasses (my optometrist is consistently surprised by my lack of UV-related eye changes).
Evening: Copper peptide serum for cellular repair. GHK-Cu supports the skin's natural regeneration processes – collagen synthesis, wound healing, tissue remodelling. If daytime is about protection, evening is about repair.
This isn't about fearing the sun. It's about working with it intelligently, based on skin genetics, lifestyle, and an understanding that dose determines whether something is medicine or poison.
Who This Is For
If you're the type of person who searches "zinc oxide coated with jojoba esters 15% w/w what SPF" – this is for you.
- If you want to understand what's in your products and why it's there – this is for you.
- If you've tried to find a clean, stable, wearable daily mineral sunscreen and come up empty – this is for you.
- If you have children and want sun protection without endocrine disruptors – this is for you.
- If you need SPF50+ for the beach – this isn't that. Use a high-SPF mineral sunscreen for extended exposure. This is for the other 360 days of the year.
The Honest Note
I made this sunscreen because I couldn't find what I needed. Then I made it for my kids. Then customers started asking for it.
It's not TGA registered. It's not SPF50+. It won't survive being left in a hot car (keep it cool). It smells like beeswax because it contains beeswax – local, beautiful, fragrant beeswax from chemical-free hives.
It's also stable, effective, wearable, and made from ingredients I trust enough to put on my own family's skin every day.
That's the bar I hold everything to. Does it pass the "would I use this on my own children" test? This does.
Related Reading
→ Acetyl Zingerone: Post-UV Protection
→ Copper Peptides: The Skincare Ingredient That Probably Shouldn't Be Over-the-Counter
→ Hydrate + Protect | Good Morning Skin Shield
Products you may be interested in
SPF15+ Daily Moisturising Sunscreen | Mineral Sun Protection | Nubeean Noosa
→ Hydrate + Protect | Good Morning Skin Shield
Australian made | Small batch | Clean formulation | Fragrance-free