Yes! We've formulated our mineral sunscreens to be safe during pregnancy and nursing. We do not ever include ingredients that have been known to cause reproductive issues or toxicity, and are careful to source high-quality ingredients safe for your body, and in turn, your baby. However, please make sure to check with your doctor about starting the use of any products if you're pregnant, nursing, or are planning to become pregnant. Refer to our full ingredient lists and “No List” for more details.

According to the US Food & Drug Administration and American Academy of Pediatrics, sunscreen is not recommended for babies under six months old, therefore we do not recommend our sunscreen for babies under six (6) months old.

Experts recommend keeping infants in the shade whenever possible, and also using items like lightweight long-sleeve shirts and pants, wide-brim hats, stroller covers, pop-up tents, and umbrellas in order to protect their delicate skin from the sun.

Yes! It's always been important to us to make products that people of all ages can get excited about and use safely and confidently. For any specific questions or concerns, please consult your physician.

Always apply sunscreen as the last step of your skincare routine. If you only wash your face in the morning, then Good Instincts Proper Sunscreen can double as your moisturizer and sunscreen. If you have a more involved routine, apply Proper Sunscreen after your last, heaviest moisturizer. After that, you can apply makeup on top and continue with the rest of your makeup ritual.

Dab Good Instincts Proper Sunscreen lightly over your face. If you’d like, you could use a sponge or makeup brush to lightly spread the sunscreen over your makeup. The lightweight formula leaves a soft finish without white cast. 

Absolutely. We designed our sunscreen to be excellent sun protection, hydrating moisturizer, and antioxidant all in one, meaning you can use it on its own as a single-step skincare routine. When it comes to skincare, we believe in ‘skinimalism’— making it easy to build fun and simple habits! If you have particularly dry skin, in the winter months, you may prefer to put a heavier moisturizer on before our sunscreen; otherwise, you can use Proper Sunscreen solo!

Though “reef safety” is largely a marketing term and not a regulated one, we are in full compliance with Hawaii’s Act 104 and do not include any chemical sunscreen ingredients in our sunscreen, such as oxybenzone or octinoxate. Proper Sunscreen only uses mineral sunscreen actives (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide).

The term “non-nano” isn’t currently defined or regulated by the FDA, so there is no official standard for this claim. However, our zinc oxide is carefully sourced to fall within the commonly referenced “non-nano” particle size range, which generally starts at 100 nanometers. Our zinc oxide typically measures between 96 and 100 nanometers, with slight variation because it is a naturally occurring mineral. Importantly, leading health authorities — including the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety — have concluded that both nano and non-nano zinc oxide are safe for use in sunscreens. In short, you can feel confident that our formula aligns with the highest global safety standards.

As with most sunscreens, our mineral sunscreens are slightly alkaline (~pH 7.5). They should not interfere with your regular skincare routine, but we recommend that you wait a minute between each step to allow the last layer to dry — both before you apply your sunscreen and afterward.

Parabens? We would never!

We've paid careful attention to the ingredients we've included in all of our mineral sunscreens, ensuring that they are safe, effective, and beneficial for you. We’ve cross-referenced lists of allergens (such as “Allergens of the Year”) and consulted with our medical advisor and dermatologist, Dr. Veronica Rotemberg, to make sure all of our ingredients are safe for your skin. If you're concerned, we recommend trying the sunscreen for a few days on a small area (such as the inside of your elbow) before applying on a larger area.

Yes, our mineral Proper Sunscreen is gluten-free. It’s also peanut-free, tree nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and GMO-free.

We carefully select very few low-hazard synthetic ingredients to ensure our mineral sunscreens remain efficacious, stable, and safe for use for three years. Keep in mind that everything around us is made up of chemicals, and they are not all problematic. We constantly refer to scientific journals and research in our study to find the best ingredients to use. As such, we choose only safe, top-quality materials to give you the sensorial feel and high-performance experience our customers have come to expect in our sun care products.

Yes, we use small amounts of preservatives (fewer than 1%) to ensure your product stays stable and effective for as long as possible, no matter how many times you open it to reapply.