FAQs

• What ingredients are in Icarus? 

Our active ingredient (i.e., what protects the sun) is non-nano zinc oxide and provides broad-spectrum defense against UVA and UVB rays. The big downside to mineral sunscreens is they sit on top of your skin (to reflect the sun) and create the comically dorky looking white pasty look. This dorky look (along with the higher cost of the natural ingredients) is one reason toxic chemical sunscreens became so popular. We specially formulate our product so it rubs on (mostly) clear while still providing the same great protection. 

The “Non-nano” is important. Non-nano zinc (larger particle size than “nano zinc”) leaves more of a white cast on skin, but nano zinc comes with risks that are still being fully understood. There is a risk that the smaller nano particles can be absorbed through your skin or lungs, cause havoc inside your cells and DNA, and cause reef damage. If you find a mineral sunscreen that advertises as “clear zinc” it is likely either using nano zinc or using a smaller amount of zinc and adding extra chemicals (definitely misleading). Nano zinc is already banned from spray sunscreens - so why risk it? 

Our inactive ingredients are organic and specifically formulated to moisturize, protect, and nourish your skin - naturally. We include 100% organic and food-grade coconut oil, shea butter, avocado oil, beeswax and cacao powder. Our secret sauce is our special process to coat the Zinc in cacao powder so when you rub it on your skin it masks the white tint from the zinc. It may look like a chocolate frosty before you rub it on - but don’t worry - it looks good once you rub it on.

 

• What are the differences between mineral and chemical sunscreens? Our active ingredient (i.e., what protects the sun) is non-nano zinc oxide and provides broad-spectrum d

Chemical sunscreens use a mix of chemicals (e.g., oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate) to absorb the UVA/UVB rays. They work fairly well at protecting from the sun - but at what cost? Your skin (your body's largest organ) absorbs these chemicals and can harm your health (hormone disruption, carcinogens) and the environment (can kill reefs and wildlife). Mineral sunscreens use either zinc-oxide or titanium-dioxide to act as a physical barrier to the sun. They are considered safer for your health and the environment - but the major downside is they leave a dorky looking physical white barrier on your skin. Another complication is that many supposedly clean mineral sunscreens contain toxic chemicals as inactive ingredients. 

 

• What does SPF even mean?

SPF (“Sun Protection Factor”) was invented in 1962 as a way to standardize sun protection but is kind of a garbage metric - instead of representing the % of UVB or UVA rays blocked, the SPF number represent how much longer you could hypothetically stay in the sun without skin damage from UVB rays compared to zero protection - so an SPF of 15 means you could stay outside 15 times longer! The issue is that any sunscreen has to be reapplied every 1-2 hours because your skin immediately starts sweating it off and/or absorbing it. A better metric may be the % of UVB rays blocked - but this is less sexy marketing for sunscreen companies - for example 30 SPF provides 97% coverage while 50 SPF provides 98% coverage - a 1% improvement and not the implied  67% improvement sunscreen marketing would like you to believe.