After a successful 15-year surgical nursing career, Jules Bright (now a naturopath and medical herbalist) founded Earth’s Kitchen to create a natural sunscreen that’s dermatologist tested, water resistant, Reef-safe, and NATRUE-certified – meaning it’s certified completely natural. No surprise it has won 16 global awards.
I decided to give this much celebrated product a go on a Labour Day beach trip with friends. It’s worth taking a moment to grasp the difference between chemical and mineral (aka natural) sunscreens. Think of chemical sunscreens as similar to a sponge soaking up and absorbing the sun’s rays. Mineral sunscreens are more like a protective coat of armour, deflecting the sun’s rays away from the surface of the skin. This coat of armour is made of naturally occurring ingredients like zinc, blitzed into tiny particles that sit on top of the skin to create a protective shield and forest plants protective bio-intelligence. I have quite sensitive skin, so my preference is to opt for a natural sunscreen that’s less likely to cause irritation. A further advantage of natural sunscreens is that they’re effective from the moment they’re applied to the skin, unlike chemical sunscreens, which usually require around 20 minutes to work.
After a good five hours of lounging at the beach and the odd dip in the water, there were happily no sunburns or even slightly pink skin in any of the group. We all diligently reapplied every two hours and immediately after being in the water, which is no burden as Earth’s Kitchen Sunscreen blends into the skin like a dream without leaving greasy spots on clothing. Plus, it smells amazing! One of my friends is a surfer who happily reported that it does not sting the eyes when out in the water. It just works! The group couldn’t believe how nice it felt to apply and how easily it absorbed.
After our successful beach day, I’ve continued using Earth’s Kitchen as my everyday sunscreen in the morning and have it on hand for reapplication during the day. It layers well under my everyday beauty products without the white cast – important qualities that will keep me reaching for it day after day. I love how hydrating it is, and with so many raw plant and nutrient-dense premium ingredients there is no need to apply another moisturiser. It feels like I’m luxuriously treating my skin while protecting it. I’ve even noticed a few little blemishes beginning to disappear, which is no surprise given the ingredients of kawakawa and tamanu, both known for their anti-inflammatory properties. In some ways this nourishing formula is more like a facial serum that just happens to have SPF 50.
Earth’s Kitchen Sunscreen is a sunblock that you can comfortably wear, and comfortably rely on. It’s silky soft, concentrated (so a little goes a long way), and has a wonderful fragrance, all while healing and protecting our biggest organ and our ocean life. Sunscreen is the most important part of my skincare routine, and if you’re trying to minimise UV exposure-induced wrinkles for as long as possible, it should be the most important part of yours too.
