When my quest for the perfect eco-friendly mascara finally came to an end – thank you Josie Maran – I began what would be my biggest challenge to date: finding a natural sunscreen that actually works.

Let me start by saying that I am a white girl. Not just white, white-white. This body was not designed for sun worship, and it erupts in an angry-looking sunburn with minimal exposure. That said, I spent the better part of college lying in a tanning bed, trying to achieve a modicum of tan. What I succeeded in doing was damaging my skin, which is why now I take my sunscreen seriously.

The problem with conventional sunscreens is that they are full of nasty chemicals that seep into your body through your pores. But unlike cosmetics, which are (arguably) optional, using sunscreen prevents skin cancers, so for many years it was choosing the lesser of two evils.

Many of the conventional brands, like Coppertone and Banana Boat, contain chemicals like oxybenzone, which is easily absorbed into the skin and which has been linked to certain cancers, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption. (A fantastic resource for finding out the purity of your favorite brand is Skin Deep, a project of the Environmental Working Group, which has extensively studied the ingredients in cosmetics, sunscreens and other personal care products.)

More than one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year and since I’d like to protect my skin and yours, I have tested every natural sunscreen I could get my hands on. Here are my favorites:

Heather O’Neill is the founder of Eco to the People, a green living blog. You can email her at heather@ecotothepeople.com.