Sky and Sol is an increasingly popular sunscreen brand. They claim to stand out from other skincare products with their rule of "don't put it on your skin if you wouldn't put it in your mouth!"
But does Sky and Sol have research-backed ingredients for protecting skin from the sun? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? What was our Product Tester's honest experience trying it for a month? And is Sky and Sol better or worse than popular sunscreen brands like EltaMD?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Sky and Sol sunscreen to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective for sun protection, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also share our Product Tester's experience trying it for a month, feature a video from a cosmetic chemist suggesting the product is mislabeled, and compare Sky and Sol to other popular sunscreen brands to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains healthy and non-toxic active and inactive ingredients
- A cosmetic chemist tested it and shared concerns
- We do not currently recommend Sky and Soul due to questions over testing
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Sky and Soul Sunscreen Face and Body Sunscreen SPF 50 are shown below:
Zinc oxide is the active ingredient and is a physical UV ray blocker.
It was shown to be effective and non-toxic in a medical review published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science.
The inactive ingredients in this sunscreen also have research backing for supporting optimal skin health.
Jojoba oil is clinically shown to have a moisturizing effect, as we documented in our review of Particle Face Cream.
Beeswax was shown in a clinical trial published in the AAPS PharmaSciTech journal to improve skin moisture content and repair skin barrier function.
It's worth noting that tallow may go rancid, so it's important to use this product by the expiration date listed on the label.
There are no ingredients, active or inactive, in this formulation that we consider to be unhealthy.
Based on its stated ingredients, we consider Sky and Sol Sunscreen likely to be effective for protecting the skin from damaging UV rays, and we consider this to be one of the healthiest sunscreen formulations that we've reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.
We Tested Sky and Sol Sunscreen
One of our product testers named Jodie Steinberg tried Sky and Sol sunscreen. Here's her experience:
The product is in a standard squeeze tube with a small opening at the top. I had no issues getting the product out.
I did not notice any off-putting smell which some people claim they experience from products with tallow.
This is a mineral sunscreen. It is pretty thick and very white right upon application. Once worked into the skin it did absorb nicely, felt comfortable and was not greasy at all.
However, as I left it on it tended to dry down into a matte finish, which dry skin types may not like, but I liked it as I have oily combination skin. My skin did not feel tight despite the matte finish, and it was not overly matte as long as I didn’t use too much product.
I was actually surprised by how nice and flawless the finish made my skin. It reminded me of a satin matte finish you might get from a really nice foundation.
Below is an image of this sunscreen on my face:
I did notice though that it stuck a little to dry flecks of skin on my face and in fine lines on my neck. It did not leave a white cast which was pretty surprising for a mineral sunscreen.
Of note, when I used a little too much product, it clung to my eyebrow hairs which I really found annoying and difficult to remove. I would say to be careful around hairs on the face. All in all I was pretty impressed with this product. My skin felt moisturized without becoming greasy even after I wore the sunscreen for hours.
Overall, I would rate Sky and Soul sunscreen 8.5/10, and I plan on purchasing it again.
Sky and Sol vs. Popular Sunscreen Brands
Here's how Sky and Sol compares to other popular sunscreen brands in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
EltaMD
Contains a "chemical" sunscreen active ingredient which is clinically shown to be harmful to human health (and to wildlife).
Winner: Sky and Sol
Blue Lizard
Contains three inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy, as we documented in our Blue Lizard sunscreen review article.
Winner: Sky and Sol
Supergoop
Contains three "chemical" sunscreen active ingredients which can be endocrine-disrupting.
Sky and Sol has a much healthier formulation in our view.
Winner: Sky and Sol
Is Sky and Soul Mislabeled?
A TikTok creator and cosmetic chemist named Ava Perkins tested Sky and Soul sunscreen in a lab and shared her findings:
@ava.perki Buying the Sky & Sol Face and Body SPF 50 really opened a can of worms I was not expecting... After doing research in sunscreen for a few years, a few things felt off about this product so I decided to take it to the lab to test it out. After my results, I wonder now WHAT is in this product?! Does the brand know? It’s really frustrating to uncover my findings (or even feeling the need to do all these tests) because sunscreens are already so mistrusted. I hope the brand can give us answers soon. Shoutout to @Dr. Julian Sass and @Parker | Cosmetic Chemist for all their input during this process! To note: I bought from this sunscreen directly from the brand’s website. #cosmeticchemist #cosmeticscience #cosmeticchemistry #sunscreen #naturalsunscreen #mineralsunscreen #skincare ♬ original sound - Ava Perkins | Cosmetic Chemist
Sky and Sol Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Should protect skin from sun
- May moisturize skin
- Our Product Tester tried and loved it
- Safe inactive ingredients
- Positive Amazon reviews
- Healthier formulation than competitors
Cons:
- One research chemist questions label claims
- Brand's website charges for shipping
- Expensive
