Finding a mineral-powered sunscreen that isn’t sticky or gummy and sinks in without leaving a ghostly cast is one of summer’s great beauty challenges.

Why, then, do we bother? Because, in common with many people, we can be sensitive to chemical sunscreens. Titanium dioxide and (in this case) zinc oxide, however, don’t cause us problems – and we’ve often steered friends with skin rashes and so-called ‘prickly heat’ in the direction of mineral sunscreens. (Jo suffered from prickly heat for years, till she discovered it wasn’t the heat but the sun-protective products she was putting on her skin that caused the problems.)d

We therefore welcome with open, freckle-prone arms the launch of Green People Mineral Sun Cream SPF30, from the pioneering naturals brand that really knows its stuff – and of which we’ve been big fans for decades.

Importantly, the mineral sunscreens are non-nano, which means that they won’t be absorbed into the bloodstream. The zinc oxide sits alongside skin-nurturing ingredients like soothing bisabolol, chamomile, aloe vera and sequoia leaf extract – and (just as importantly), there’s no drying alcohol in the formula.

As founder Charlotte Vøhtz (who created this brand in 1997) observes, ‘Intense summer sun demands more than just SPF. Your skin barrier needs hydration, too.’ Many summer SPFs aren’t moisturising enough to wear on their own, so we end up layering them over a regular day cream. Not the case here.

Effective against the burning UVB and ageing UVA rays, the product’s also fragrance-free – another ‘must’, for us personally, as we’ve often had problems with fragranced suncreens. In fact, it’s specifically recommended for eczema-prone and sensitive skins.

The icing on the cake? Green People Mineral Sun Cream SPF30 is certified natural and organic by COSMOS.

And frankly, all we need now is some unbroken sunshine to go with. Fingers crossed for the long weekend, eh?

£30 – buy here

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