Inside Our Tallow Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50: Every Ingredient, Explained

Every ingredient in our Grass-Fed Tallow Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50, explained: where the SPF comes from, what makes it feel good on skin, and what we left out.

Our Grass-Fed Tallow Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 has a short ingredient list, and every ingredient is there for a reason. Here's what's inside, what each ingredient does, and what we deliberately left out.

The Active Ingredients: Where the SPF Comes From

Zinc Oxide (Non-Nano) 25% and Titanium Dioxide (Non-Nano) 10% are the only two sunscreen filters the FDA has proposed as generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE). They sit on the surface of the skin and help block UVA and UVB rays. Together they provide the broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection. We use non-nano particles, the most conservative choice.

The Base: What Makes It Feel Good

• Grass-fed tallow: a rich, traditional moisturizer made of fatty acids, which gives the formula its creamy feel and helps the minerals spread evenly.
• Organic aloe (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder): adds a light, soothing feel.
• Shea butter, jojoba seed oil, olive fruit oil and squalane: plant-based emollients that keep skin feeling soft instead of dry and chalky.
• Beeswax and candelilla wax: give the lotion body and help it stay put.
• Vitamin E (tocopherol): an antioxidant that helps protect the formula's oils from going rancid.
• Lecithin, silica, xanthan gum, glyceryl stearate and cetearyl alcohol: help the water and oil phases blend into a smooth, stable lotion. (Cetearyl alcohol is a gentle fatty alcohol, not a drying alcohol.)
• Citric acid and sodium phytate: keep the formula balanced and stable.
• Leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate: a plant-derived ingredient that helps preserve the formula.
• Saururus chinensis and dandelion leaf extracts: botanical extracts traditionally used in skincare.

What We Left Out

No oxybenzone, octinoxate or other chemical UV filters. No parabens, phthalates or synthetic fragrance.

How to Use It for Real Protection

• Apply liberally 15 minutes before sun exposure. Most people use far less than they need.
• Warm a small amount between your fingertips and blend it in evenly.
• Reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying, and at least every 2 hours.
• For children under 6 months, ask a doctor.

Want the details on why we chose minerals? Read Does Tallow Sunscreen Work? and Non-Nano Zinc Oxide vs Nano vs Chemical Sunscreen. Or shop the Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 and the Family Sun Kit.