Shade Sunscreen

Shade All-Natural Sunscreen: What is it?

Shade is a multi-award winning mineral-based, broad spectrum all-natural sunscreen made in the UK with just four natural ingredients — nothing else. Free from the harmful chemicals, unnecessary fragrances, liquid polymers, and microplastics found in traditional sunscreens, Shade is designed to protect both your health and the environment.

In June 2014, Tania Wedin, the founder of Shade, faced a challenge: finding a simple, all-natural sunscreen for her daughter. With nothing suitable on the market, she took matters into her own hands and created a basic yet promising cream for her daughter’s school days in the sun. This initial success was popular with friends and family and sparked an idea: could other parents benefit from this too? 

Shade can work wonders for those who struggle with mainstream sunscreens, as these can contain chemicals that can irritate your skin. 

Shade is SPF25, reflecting 96% of harmful UVA and UVB rays. Plus, it keeps your skin moisturised. Even past its expiry date, Shade remains effective as a moisturiser for itchy skin, insect bites or stings and works as a lip salve in winter or after sun in summer.

The founder of Shade also runs a website called Not the Norm, which lists a unique range of natural alternative health and cosmetic products.

Shade sunscreen best-sellers:

Shade Sunscreen SPF25
15ml

£4.50

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Shade Sunscreen SPF25
100ml

£12.75

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Shade Sunscreen Duo SPF25
15ml + 100ml

£16.50

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Shade All-Natural sunscreen: How sustainable is it? 

We all need to protect our skin from the sun, but we also need some sun exposure to generate vitamin D, an essential nutrient that can help to prevent certain cancers. Spending sensible time in the sun is beneficial, and using hats and light clothing can help. For prolonged exposure, using a natural sunscreen like Shade is a great option. 

Shade’s formula is made from just four sustainably-sourced ingredients, 72% of which are certified Soil Association Organic. They use unrefined organic shea nut butter from Ghana, and unrefined virgin coconut oil from the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The non-nano zinc oxide is sourced from a UK distributor that uses sustainable Muffle Furnace technology, minimising molten metal handling and carbon emissions. Their unrefined beeswax comes from the UK and China. More details on their beeswax usage can be found in this article, written by Tania: To Bee or Not to Bee? Wax is the Question. Their UK manufacturer specialises in natural formulations, ensuring optimal results.

Shade’s product is free from nanoparticles, never tested on animals, and is marine and reef friendly. They aim to achieve the Protect Land + Sea Certification, though high costs make this a future goal. 

Tania personally visits the factory for each order to ensure quality and maintain a strong personal connection with the makers. 

Shade undergoes rigorous testing for broad-spectrum (UVA) efficiency, SPF (UVB) protection and safety:

1. UVA Efficiency Testing: This measures the sunscreen’s ability to protect against UVA rays, which can cause skin ageing and long-term damage. It involves applying the sunscreen to a test substrate and exposing it to UVA light to determine the level of protection.
2. SPF (UVB) Testing: This assesses the sunscreen’s ability to protect against UVB rays, which cause sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. It usually involves human volunteers or in vitro models, where the sunscreen is applied, and the skin is exposed to UVB light to measure the effectiveness in preventing sunburn.
3. Safety Testing: This ensures the product is safe for use and does not cause irritation or allergic reactions. It includes tests for skin sensitization, irritation, and sometimes extended use tests to monitor any adverse effects.

These tests confirm that Shade provides reliable protection against harmful UV rays and is safe for daily use.

Shade is packaged in a tin and not a bottle or tube like other sunscreens to avoid unnecessary plastics. This packaging allows you to use up every last bit of product and can be reused.

Shade All-Natural Sunscreen: Where to buy?

You can shop their award-winning sunscreens on: shadecream.com or Not-the-Norm.com