UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46 vs Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 6 oz: which is safer?
Goddess Garden Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 6 oz is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
EltaMD
UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFragrance allergens and sensitizers
PossiblePhenoxyethanol preservative safety
PossibleSilicone or dimethicone residue buildup on skin
Our pick
Goddess Garden
Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 6 oz
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFragrance allergens and undisclosed fragrance components
PossibleSkin irritation or photosensitivity from plant oils
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Fragrance allergens and sensitizers, Phenoxyethanol preservative safety and Silicone or dimethicone residue buildup on skin on the EltaMD and not on the Goddess Garden.
- We flag Fragrance allergens and undisclosed fragrance components and Skin irritation or photosensitivity from plant oils on the Goddess Garden and not on the EltaMD.
- The EltaMD is Water-based sunscreen lotion; primary actives likely zinc oxide/avobenzone where the Goddess Garden is mineral-based UV filters, plant-derived waxes, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 25 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Goddess Garden is the one to buy.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More sunscreen: see the full ranking