There’s something wonderful about sunshine. It warms us, gets us outdoors and helps our bodies make vitamin D. But here in New Zealand, we also know that sunshine deserves a healthy amount of respect.
Especially if, like some of us at Bushfairy, you have the kind of fair skin that can turn pink rather quickly. Redhead Approved Suncream was created from that understanding.
The goal is to make a plant-rich suncream that could become one part of a sensible approach to enjoying the outdoors — not something that gives us permission to spend hours in strong sun simply because we’ve put on a cream.
At its heart is non-nano zinc oxide, providing the mineral UV filtering, surrounded by a rich base of plant oils, avocado butter and beeswax that nourish and support skin exposed to the elements. Because good sun care isn’t just about what’s in the jar. It’s also about knowing when to put on a hat, find some shade and call it a day.
Sunshine Isn’t The Enemy
It’s easy for conversations around sun protection to make sunshine itself sound like something we should avoid at all costs. But our relationship with the sun is more nuanced than that.
Sunlight on our skin helps our bodies produce vitamin D, an important nutrient for bone health, muscle function and our immune system.
How much sun someone needs varies depending on skin tone, season, location, clothing, age and lifestyle. More sun doesn’t necessarily mean more benefit, particularly once exposure starts causing skin damage. Our philosophy isn’t about fearing sunshine or chasing it for vitamin D. It’s about enjoying life outdoors while being sensible about UV exposure.
Plants That Care For Skin Outdoors
Plants spend their lives exposed to sun, wind, heat and changing weather, and contain an incredible variety of oils, pigments and antioxidant compounds.
We love bringing some of that plant goodness into our Redhead Approved Suncream. These plant oils aren’t there to completley replace the UV filter. Instead, they nourish, condition and support skin while it’s exposed to the elements.
Raspberry seed oil provides essential fatty acids and naturally occurring antioxidants that help support the skin barrier.
Carrot oil, naturally rich in carotenoids, provides antioxidant support. Pomegranate oil brings punicic acid and antioxidants to nourish and support the skin’s natural recovery processes, while Meadowfoam oil conditions the skin and helps it hold onto moisture.
Together, they help care for skin exposed not only to sunshine, but also wind, heat, salt water and swimming.
The Base Matters Too
Avocado butter and beeswax aren’t simply there to turn those oils into a cream.
Avocado butter creates a rich, nourishing base, providing fatty acids and naturally occurring vitamin E and carotenoids. It helps soften the skin, support its barrier and reduce the dry, stripped feeling that can come after a day outdoors.
Beeswax gives the cream structure while helping create a protective, moisture-retaining layer over the skin. It also helps bring the oils and mineral ingredient together into a rich cream that sits comfortably on the skin.
Neither is there to replace our UV filter. Their role is to help create a nourishing base that protects the skin from the drying effects of the elements.
Why We Use Non-Nano Zinc Oxide
While the plants nourish and support the skin, non-nano zinc oxide has a very specific role — it provides the mineral UV filtering.
Zinc oxide is valued in sun care because it provides broad-spectrum protection, helping to filter both UVA and UVB radiation.
We choose the non-nano form, meaning the zinc oxide remains in larger particles, ensuring they're safe. It’s a straightforward formulation choice that fits with the way we like to make Bushfairy products.
We like to think of the formula simply:
The zinc oxide provides the UV filter. The plant oils, avocado butter and beeswax nourish, condition and support the skin. Together, they make up our Redhead Approved Suncream.
A Filter, Not A Free Pass
This distinction is really important to us. Redhead Approved Suncream is a natural sun filter, not a sunblock. Its purpose is to filter UV exposure. It shouldn’t be treated as an impenetrable shield or as permission to stay outside in strong sunshine for longer than you otherwise would.
No cream replaces sensible sun-safe behaviour.
Wear a broad-brimmed hat. Cover up when UV is strong. Find shade. Avoid unnecessarily long periods in direct sunshine and be particularly mindful around the middle of the day, when UV can be at its strongest. It’s also worth checking the UV Index rather than judging the strength of the sun by temperature or cloud cover alone.
Enjoy your morning walk. Swim in the sea. Work in the garden. Sit beneath the trees and enjoy the warmth on your skin. Just know when you’ve had enough. Suncream should be one layer of protection, not the whole strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Provides The UV Filtering In Redhead Approved Suncream?
Non-nano zinc oxide. It is the mineral UV filter within our formula, helping provide broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection.
Do The Plant Oils Provide Sun Protection?
We don’t rely on the plant oils as the UV filter or assign them an SPF. Raspberry seed, carrot, pomegranate and meadowfoam oils are chosen for the fatty acids, antioxidants and nourishing plant compounds they bring to skin exposed to the elements.
Why Use Avocado Butter And Beeswax?
They help create the rich, protective base of Redhead Approved Suncream. Avocado butter nourishes and supports the skin barrier, while beeswax gives the cream structure and helps create a moisture-retaining layer over the skin.
Why Does Bushfairy Use Non-Nano Zinc Oxide?
We choose non-nano zinc oxide as our mineral UV filter because it provides broad-spectrum UVA and UVB filtering and fits with our straightforward approach to formulation.
Is Redhead Approved Suncream A Sunblock?
No. Redhead Approved Suncream is designed to filter UV exposure, not completely block the sun. It should always be used alongside other sun-safe practices.
Do We Need Sunshine For Vitamin D?
Yes, sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which is important for normal bone, muscle and immune health. But that doesn’t mean we need prolonged exposure or sunburn.
Enjoying sensible time outdoors and protecting ourselves when UV levels are high can comfortably exist together.
Should I Still Wear A Hat And Seek Shade?
Absolutely. Suncream is only one part of sun protection. Hats, clothing, shade, avoiding long exposure and taking extra care when UV levels are high all matter.
Enjoy The Sun, Respect The Sun
At Bushfairy, we talk a lot about working with skin rather than against it. Our approach to sunshine isn’t really that different.
Enjoy it. Respect it. Protect yourself when you need to. Redhead Approved Suncream brings together non-nano zinc oxide for mineral UV filtering with avocado butter, beeswax and carefully chosen plant oils to nourish and support skin exposed to the elements.
Because caring for your skin doesn’t have to mean fearing nature. Sometimes it simply means learning how to enjoy it wisely.