SOS Sunscreen · 100 ml / 3.4 fl ozSPF 30+ for very dry or eczema-prone skin
★★★★★4.7 / 5 · 1,174 reviewsSun protection for sensitive skin, built on the same base as SOS Ointment. Petrolatum and lanolin form a protective layer, and two UV filters sit inside it. Instead of drying your skin out while it protects, it cares for it.
This batch sold out faster than we expected. A new one is on its way. Leave us your email and we’ll let you know the day it’s back in stock.
The same film as the ointment. With UV filters inside.
Most sunscreens are light emulsions that don’t hold up for long on dry skin. Ours is built the other way around: first a protective layer that slows water loss, with the filters built into it. So the sun hits the film, not your skin.
A simplified illustration, not a clinical measurement.
When you need it
Rich and thick. Like an ointment.
This isn’t a light fluid. It’s a thick, white to yellowish cream that leaves a noticeable layer on your skin, and that layer is what does the work.
How to use it
On clean, dry skin, before you go out in the sun.
For your face, about half a teaspoon. Too little cream means less protection.
And always after swimming, sweating or toweling off.
Skin conditions are serious! Chicatella is skin care, not medicine, so if you’re unsure or things get worse, see a dermatologist.
Sixteen ingredients, each with a job to do
No fillers, no fragrance, nothing that’s in the formula just because it sounds nice on the label.
Below is the full list in the order printed on the package, from the ingredient there’s most of to the one there’s least of.
Tap any of them and we’ll tell you what it does on your skin.
01 Water Aqua BASE +
The water part of the cream brings moisture to your skin, and the oil part then locks it in underneath.
02 Lanolin (wool wax) Lanolin OCCLUSIVE + SOFTENS +
The second ingredient by amount, which is unusual for a sunscreen. It softens the surface and forms a protective film that slows water loss, and the UV filters sit inside that film.
03 Petrolatum Petrolatum OCCLUSIVE +
The most researched occlusive in dermatology. In a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Czarnowicki, 2016), petrolatum on the skin raised filaggrin and loricrin, two proteins of the skin barrier, boosted the skin’s own antimicrobial peptides and lowered inflammatory signals.
04 UVB filter Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate UV FILTER +
A chemical filter that absorbs UVB rays, the ones that cause sunburn. One of the longest-used and best-researched filters in Europe.
05 Cocoa butter Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter SOFTENS +
A rich plant butter that softens skin and gives the cream its body. It also adds a soft, pleasant scent.
06 UVA filter Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane UV FILTER +
Also known as avobenzone. It absorbs UVA rays, which reach deeper and contribute to skin aging. Together with the UVB filter it covers both parts of the spectrum.
07 Calendula in almond oil Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract / Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil SOOTHES +
Calendula flowers steeped in sweet almond oil. One of the gentlest plant ingredients for irritated, thin skin.
08 Fatty alcohol Cetearyl Alcohol STRUCTURE +
Not the kind of alcohol that dries skin out. It’s a waxy, softening ingredient that keeps the oils and water together and gives the cream its thickness.
09 Jojoba oil Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil PLANT OIL +
A liquid wax that’s remarkably close to the oil your skin makes on its own. That’s why skin takes to it so easily.
10 Bisabolol from chamomile Bisabolol SOOTHES +
The most studied active in chamomile. It works on the signals skin sends when it’s irritated and helps calm the look of heat and redness.
11 Emulsifiers Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate STRUCTURE +
In small amounts, they keep the oil and water parts from separating and help the filters spread evenly over your skin. With a sunscreen, even coverage is key to protection.
12 Allantoin Allantoin SMOOTHS +
For a smooth feel after you apply it. It softens a hard, flaky surface so your skin doesn’t feel tight or crack.
13 Sodium benzoate Sodium Benzoate KEEPS THE FORMULA SAFE +
A mild preservative. Since the cream contains water, it can’t go without one. It’s among the most common ones in baby skin care.
14 Potassium sorbate Potassium Sorbate KEEPS THE FORMULA SAFE +
The other half of the preservative pair. Together with sodium benzoate it covers a wider range of microbes, so we can use less of both.
15 Citric acid Citric Acid pH +
In trace amounts, so the cream’s pH stays close to your skin’s natural pH.
16 Linalool Linalool NATURAL COMPONENT +
A natural scent component found in plant extracts. EU rules require us to list it separately because a small number of people can be allergic to it. We don’t add any fragrance to the cream.
17 Vitamin E Tocopheryl Acetate ANTIOXIDANT +
Keeps the oils in the cream from going rancid and, on your skin, helps neutralize free radicals, including the ones the sun creates.
Aqua, Lanolin, Petrolatum, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract / Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Allantoin, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Linalool, Tocopheryl Acetate.
What you read above are research findings on individual ingredients, not measured results for this formula. The cream contains lanolin, which a small number of people are allergic to. SOS Sunscreen is only one part of sun protection. Shade, clothing and avoiding the midday sun are still the first choice.
What people say after trying it
“The only sunscreen that doesn’t sting my daughter’s eyes or give her a rash.”
✓ verified buyer
“It’s thick, no question, but after a day at the beach my skin wasn’t dry like it usually is.”
✓ verified buyer
“I use it on a scar from surgery. It didn’t get darker over the summer.”
✓ verified buyer
“It leaves a white film until it sinks in, and on dark skin you notice that.”
✓ verified buyer
“Too heavy for my face, but totally fine on my body.”
✓ verified buyer
We post the less excited reviews too, because we don’t believe in fake perfection. If a product isn’t for you, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.
Sun protection FAQ
When will it be back in stock?+
A new batch is in the works. Leave your email on this page and we’ll let you know the day it’s available. No other messages.
What SPF does it have?+
The SPF is printed on the package of each batch. Because it’s a product with UV filters, we only state what has been tested for this exact formula, with no rounding up.
Why is it so thick?+
Because it’s built on the same occlusive base as SOS Ointment. The filters sit in a protective layer that also slows water loss, so your skin isn’t dried out after a day in the sun.
Is it okay for babies?+
From three months on, and always as an extra, not a replacement for shade, a hat and clothing. Babies shouldn’t be out in direct midday sun.
Is it water-resistant?+
Reapply after every swim, after sweating or toweling off, and at least every two hours.
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