Honest Sunscreen users complain of burns

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A popular brand of all natural products is under fire after customers used its sunscreen and got burned. The Honest Company, co-founded by actress, Jessica Alba, produces an all-natural sunscreen lotion that uses zinc oxide to block the sun’s rays.

This year, the company reformulated its sunscreen after customers complained that it was too sticky and left a white residue on their skin. In doing so, they reduced the concentration of zinc in the product from 20 percent to 9.3 percent. Since the change, dozens of users have complained online that their skin and their children’s skin was badly burned even after applying the sunscreen as directed. Comments included:

“we were all extremely burned! Especially my little 2 year old!”

“My daughter’s back looked like a tomato and even blistered in one spot!”

“you might as well slather yourself in baby oil because this is how well it works.”

Unlike the chemical barriers in most sunscreens, zinc acts as a physical barrier to the sun’s rays. Dermatologist, Dr. Ronald Vender, says the white residue it leaves is necessary for it’s effectiveness and reducing the concentration may have been the product’s downfall, “it has to be applied very, very thick so that you can see that white coating of the zinc in order to give the proper protection from the sun.”

Most sunscreens that contain zinc oxide have a concentration between 15 and 25 per cent. Founders of The Honest Company, Christopher Gavigan and actress Jessica Alba, say their product was approved even at it’s lower concentration. They released a statement saying, in part,”We’ve gone through extensive third-party testing in accordance with government regulations and our Sunscreen Lotion passed all SPF 30 testing requirements. It also received the best score possible from the Environmental Working Group. We care about taking every precaution possible to ensure that your product experience will keep you happy and healthy.”

The Honest Company notes complaints account for less than one percent of units sold and some customers have left rave reviews. It also says other ingredients have been added to make up for the reduced zinc oxide concentration but does not specify what those are. On its website, zinc oxide is listed as the only active ingredient and Dr. Vender said none of the other ingredients listed have sun blocking properties. He is also concerned by the high number of oils included in the product, “It doesn’t make for a a smooth compound so it may need to be shaken quite a bit before applied.” If the zinc separates from the oils and isn’t remixed with adequate shaking, some applications could have even lower concentrations of zinc. He says when using sunscreens with a physical barrier like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, it’s important to apply enough that the lotion is visible on the surface of the skin.

He also says there is no risk to using sunscreens that contain synthetically made chemical barriers. They are extensively tested and aren’t harmful. But if you do opt for a natural sunscreen, white residue is a good sign.