Our active ingredient (i.e., what protects the sun) is non-nano zinc oxide and provides broad-spectrum defense against UVA and UVB rays. Historically, 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 to match your skin tone 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, jojoba oil, 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.

The aftersun mousse is packed with a dozen spa-quality and science-backed ingredients to nourish your skin, reduce redness, and extend your tan. We use it every night as a full-body moisturizer and use extra on our faces after long days in the sun.

• Unrefined Shea Butter: Soothes irritated or sunburned skin, rich in vitamins A & E, helps seal in moisture and restore skin's lipid barrier.
• Unrefined Coconut Oil: Anti-inflammatory, locks in hydration and can reduce peeling, contains medium-chain fatty acids for deep nourishment.
• Aloe Vera: Cools sunburns and reduces redness, rich in polysaccharides to promote healing and repair damaged skin.
• Jojoba Oil: Mimic's skin's natural sebum to balance oil production, rich in vitamin E and antioxidants for skin repair.
• Avocado Oil: Packed with omega-9 fatty acids, Vitamin D, supports collagen synthesis and skin elasticity - great for inflamed skin.
• Rosehip Oil: Rich in Vitamins C & A (retinoids), essential fatty acids, helps reduce hyperpigmentation and sun damage, smooths texture.
• Witch Hazel: Natural astringent to reduce inflammation, calm redness, and tighten pores.
• Calendula Extract: Contains flavonoids and triterpenoids to calm irritated skin and reduce inflammation.
• Green Tea Extract: Packed with polyphenols (like EGG) to protect against UV damage and fight free radicals to prevent aging.
• Lavender Essential Oil: Anti-inflammatory and promotes skin cell turnover. Subtle calming scent!
• Peppermint Essential Oil: Cooling sensation and reduces redness. Subtle fresh scent!
• Chamomile Essential Oil: Calms inflamed skin and reduces redness - contains apigenin, a powerful antioxidant. Subtle calming scent.

Icarus is a mineral sunscreen.

Mineral sunscreens use zinc or titanium to physically block UV rays. While effective, they usually leave a white cast, which led to the popularity of chemical sunscreens in the 1980s. Unfortunately, chemical sunscreens contain toxic ingredients that are linked to hormone disruption, thyroid issues, and even cancer! They’re also deadly to marine life and coral reefs (use the free “Yuka” app to see just how toxic your current sunscreen might be).

Keep an eye out for toxic inactive ingredients too - many chemical and mineral sunscreens pack toxic ingredients in there to extend shelf life, 'boost' SPF (to use less zinc), and lower costs.

Yes - but not as much as you may think. A 30 SPF provides 97% coverage of UVB rays while 50 SPF provides 98% coverage of UVB rays - a 1% improvement with no consideration for UVA protection. For both, you still need to reapply every ~80 minutes so the difference isn't as pronounced as the numbers suggest.

SPF (“Sun Protection Factor”) was invented in 1962 as a way to standardize sun protection and represents 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 (SPF 30 = 30 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 - so it doesn't really matter if you could stay 50 times longer if it only lasts 1-2 hours.

Icarus does not currently have any tallow products. Tallow has some great skin (and cooking) properties - but unfortunately a lot of times it smells like leftover steak. To combat the leftover steak smell, some companies add heavy scents or pasteurize the tallow which removes many of the skin health benefits. We love what other tallow+zinc brands are doing to educate consumers on safer skincare, but we like our formula better :)

Ship speeds vary based on location but in general orders take 3-5 business days to arrive.

Yes all Icarus products are reef safe. Hawaii, as well as some other states and countries, have banned sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, and octocrylene. These chemicals are banned for the damage they can cause to coral reefs.

We use all organic and vegan ingredients except we use beeswax in our flagship - we do have a specific vegan sunscreen that uses candelilla instead of beeswax. sunscreen.

We coat our non-nano zinc in organic cacao powder to reduce the white-tint that other mineral sunscreens have. The product rubs on lighter than it looks and adapts to most skin tones. The cacao has the added benefit of smelling great and skin-nourishing antioxidants. Sometimes it can still have a slight white caste (especially if sweating or fresh out of the shower), but it should rub in.

We want you to love your Icarus products!If you're not completely satisfied, we're here to help.

Returns

Due to the nature of our skincare products, we can only accept returns of unopened and unused items within 30 days of purchase.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unopened, and in its original packaging.

Exchanges

If you received the wrong item or your product was damaged during shipping, please contact us within 7 days of delivery. We’ll send a replacement free of charge.

Refunds

Once your return is received and inspected, we'll notify you by email.

If approved, your refund will be processed back to your original payment method within 5–7 business days.

How to Start a Return

Please email us at hello@icaruszerochemical.com with:We'll respond within 24–48 hours with next steps.

We use all organic and vegan ingredients except we use beeswax in our sunscreen (not vegan), and the non-nano zinc is a mineral so is not classified as organic vs not organic.

Icarus is great for your face or body. See our blog posts for more info on face vs body sunscreens - but the short difference is typical face sunscreens use more expensive ingredients than body sunscreens (to avoid clogging pores on your face) so companies market face sunscreens differently so they can charge more.

Yes. Contact us in our Wholesale Inquiries tab or email us at hello@icaruszerochemical.com for terms and price sheet.