In Lithuania, you can often get away with using unrefined oils, as they have a low SPF and help to protect your skin until it develops protective pigmentation - see our recommended oils or balms for gradual tanning in this section. Also coloured base oils such as rosehip, avocado, grapeseed, argan, green coffee bean, hazelnut, borage, chia (Spanish sage), olive, saturate the skin with antioxidants and protect against photo-ageing – they are recommended for use after sunbathing and to minimise the negative effects of the UV on your skin.
However, if your skin is very fair, never burns, and burns immediately; or if you are in the southern latitudes, in the mountains, special SPF sunscreens save you from sunburn in the first days. For the most sensitive people, a high SPF50 cream is the best way to start a holiday in the south; in Lithuania and in less sunny areas, a medium SPF20-30 is enough. We offer organic creams with excellent ingredients, which neutralise UV rays with mineral UV-reflectors such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and plant extracts.
The mineral UV-reflectors titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are used here in the form of micro-particle size only, not nanoparticle size as in many conventional creams (nanotechnology is not allowed in organic products). The coarser the oxide particles, the more visible they are on the skin surface as a white trace; that whitening may be an aesthetic disadvantage for some, but it outweighs the dangers of non-whitening synthetic chemical UV filters, especially for pregnant women, children and teenagers.
Let's also remember that the best sun protection is a hat, clothing and shade; babies and young children should be kept in the shade as much as possible.