Why Make The Switch To Organic SPF Moisturisers?

The weather is definitely warming up in the UK and if you haven’t already, now is a good time to start thinking about the skincare products you’ll need to protect yourself and your family as you spend more time outdoors. 

We all know the importance of wearing suncream, but there can still be misconceptions about what ingredients organic SPF moisturisers include and how effective they are. So, we’re going to take a deep dive into how they work and why they are an excellent addition to your skincare routine.

Let’s start by exploring why SPF moisturisers are advisable in the UK and why having a daily moisturising routine is good for your skin’s health in general.

Why do we need SPF moisturisers in the UK?

Let’s start with the basics and why we even need an SPF moisturiser in the UK. Although it’s widely accepted that UV rays from the sun damage our skin, it is still worth remembering that it doesn’t have to be a gloriously sunny day for these rays to get through.

In the UK, the sun is often strong enough to cause damage to your skin from mid-March right through to mid-October, although this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Sometimes the UV rays from the sun will be strong enough to damage your skin even in the depths of winter. 

The best way to work out what level of sun protection you need is to use the UV index. This is a simple scale that indicates how strong the sun’s UV rays are on a given day and therefore what level of sun protection you need. 

Whenever there is a rating that’s in the moderate to high bracket, it is safest to wear sun protection if you will be out and about. 

Many people have adopted an SPF moisturiser for daily use so that they don’t have to worry about checking the UV index each day. But the Met Office provides a handy seven-day UV forecast for the UK and other locations around the world that can be very useful. 

Why do we need a daily moisturiser?

It’s also helpful to remember why it’s important to moisturise daily, regardless of whether your moisturiser includes SPF. 

The reality is that moisturising, particularly on exposed skin like your face, helps to protect your skin barrier. 

As well as helping to prevent your skin from becoming too dry and providing sun protection, using a daily moisturiser also protects you against environmental pollution. This is especially important if you live in a city or built up urban area. 

Applying a moisturiser, especially to your face, every day can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as helping to balance the oil production in your skin. If you’re using the right kind of moisturiser for your skin, this can help prevent breakouts. 

What makes organic SPF moisturisers a good choice?

First up, if you want to fully protect your skin without needing to slather on multiple products each day, a moisturiser that not only prevents dryness and plumps skin but that also delivers sun protection is an excellent choice. 

SPF moisturisers are like a skincare superhero. They protect and they hydrate your skin, which means you get more benefits than simply the sun protection. 

As an aside, this often makes them more cost-effective, as you’re paying for one, high-quality organic moisturiser, rather than a moisturiser and separate SPF product. 

The organic ingredients are an important element to note with such products too. There are a lot of non-natural ingredients in certain skincare products that may make our skin feel good without actually helping it to repair.

We’ll talk more about the organic ingredients to look for that indicate the moisturiser you’ve chosen is of high quality and will offer the appropriate level of sun protection. 

Another reason to make the switch to organic SPF moisturisers over those with high levels of chemicals in them is because they are more eco-friendly. 

If you are planning a trip to the coast and will be using your moisturiser in between dips in the sea, look for products that are reef safe to prevent harmful chemicals from washing off you and into our marine environment.

The same applies if you are planning to swim in freshwater like rivers or lakes. We don’t want those chemicals in our bodies and they don’t do nature any favours either!

What ingredients should you look for in an organic SPF moisturiser?

The first place to start is by looking at the ingredients that provide sun protection. Minerals like zinc oxide are often seen in natural suncreams, because they provide broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. 

Zinc oxide is also what gives mineral sunscreens their white pigment and why they appear white when you apply them to your skin. 

But an SPF moisturiser isn’t only about the sun protection it offers, even though this is important. That means you also need to look at the other ingredients that provide moisturisation for your skin.

Most natural moisturisers will include some form of natural oil (like coconut oil or olive oil) as well as a natural butter (think shea butter or cocoa seed butter). These are intensely moisturising ingredients and because they are plant-based they can be certified organic. 

You may also want to explore the other ingredients that provide additional benefits to your skin’s appearance and health. For instance, avocado and green tea are both ingredients that can help to maintain the collagen and elastin in your skin.

Meanwhile, the likes of edelweiss and rosemary are antioxidants. These are important skincare ingredients, because antioxidants are thought to slow damage and aging in our cells. Of course, if these ingredients are also organic, so much the better!

This is far from a comprehensive list of organic skincare ingredients, but it gives you a good starting point when you’re comparing products. Look at the list alongside any product to find out what percentage of the ingredients are organic too.