If you are a sun worshipper like myself chances are you’ve got about a hundred bottles of sun block scattered through out your medicine cabinet. Spray on 8, zinc 30, sweat-proof 50, an SPF for every occasion. The persistent mantra from dermatologists around the globe pops into your thoughts every morning… “sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen…” Obviously prevention is key to beautiful, melanoma free skin, but with all that lotion slathering and thus absorption, it’s best if we know exactly what we are putting into our bodies.
Most sunscreens are latent with questionable chemicals and preservatives that us health nuts don’t want sitting in our cells wreaking silent damage. So with June in full swing I’ve dug up the goods on the latest and greatest green sun products and preventative tips.
What to look for:
Sunscreens that contain zinc dioxide or titanium dioxide. These minerals are great alternatives to blocks made with chemicals such as oxybenzone. Both offer broad spectrum coverage of UVA and UVB. No need to worry about the white zinc streaks from the past; today’s zinc and titanium screens are micronized to prevent the white out look. Be sure to double check the active ingredients though since some brands have a combination of these minerals mixed with chemicals.
Not all “natural/organic” block brands are created equal. If you want to take the next step in stellar natural skin care keep your eye peeled for harsher chemical preservatives like butylparaben and methylparaben. Opt for screens without preservatives or those with milder preservatives such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate.
The best products are those with all the above attributes that also lack petroleum-based ingredients such as mineral oil. Look for natural emollients such as olive, sunflower and jojoba oils, and shea and cocoa butter, to name a few.
Brands To Consider:
Rare Natural- 100% vegan, natural with certified organic and eco-certified ingredients, their products are free of potentially harmful ingredients, synthetic chemicals, parabens, alcohol, and other bad stuff.
Aubrey Organics- offers a great line of sun blocks that are environmentally safe and packaged in recyclable material. They are all natural, safe, and effective.
Kiss My Face line- is based completely on essential oils and eco-friendly ingredients. Smells fantastic to boot!
UV Natural line- has been ranked #1 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). UV Natural claims to be the safest and most effective sunscreen sold in the world. The entire range of UV Natural sunscreens protect against the full spectrum of UV light – UV A1, A2, B and C.
Soleo Organics All Natural Sunscreen- my latest find created in Australia! It contains no chemicals or synthetic preservatives. It’s biodegradable so it won’t effect marine ecosystems (sunscreens cause the rapid and complete bleaching of hard corals, even at extremely low concentrations. A problem in the Great Barrier Reef) and contains 22% zinc.
Celeb Sun Tips:
Actress-TV correspondent Maria Menounos drives with the top down, but never leaves home without a hat or sunglasses when she does. Her sunscreen of choice: “I love Dermalogica SPF 20 or 30,” she says.
Fair skinned Marcia Cross swears by year round protection. “I walk around with a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen all the time,” says Cross. She’s also a spokesperson for Oil of Olay’s skin-cancer awareness program, using Olay Complete Defense SPF 30 daily.
Friday Night Lights star Connie Britton moisturizes, protects, and sunlessly tans her skin with products from Clarins and Coola, which, she raves, “are all-organic and feel great on your skin.”
Tis the season! Well maybe not here in Melbourne, but I’m gearing up for my trip to the Great Barrier Reef already. I will definitely pick up a bottle of Soleo’s block before embarking on sun drenched Queensland. Right now I’m good with my Palmer’s all natural tanning lotion. Why bake when you can fake naturally?
This post was sponsored by Only In A Woman’s World.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Good post! It is important to remember sun protection, especially with summer starting for some of us. It is nice they have natural products available.
Lack of vitamin D can cause health related issues. Our bodies produce vitamin D as a result of being exposed to the sun. Average kids are now getting rickets because they don’t get enough sun (just search for “kids rickets” and you’ll get plenty of reliable resources.)
I think our world has an unhealthy obsession with staying out of the sun and wearing sun screen.
Don’t get me wrong, a sunburn IS bad but the overzealous SPF application isn’t a good thing. How much sun each individual needs and can handle varies. Slathering on SPF isn’t always bad – hours and hours on the beach for example most people will need to apply some form of SPF so they don’t burn and it is better for it to be healthy when we do need to put it on.
Ah, very good to know! I’m of German and Irish descent, so you can imagine how smacked around I can get by the sun sometimes. Had no idea what to look for when I get sunscreen. Thanks for the heads up!
@Donald- most definitely!
@Hilary- I agree with the vitamin D bit. We all need vitamin D from the sun. Too much or too little of anything isn’t good. I agree that the over-obsession with sun protection is a little out of hand, but everyone’s skin is different. A dear friend of mine hardly has to wear sunscreen because his skin already has enough melatonin to protect him.
@Colin- haha I can imagine. Yep yep natural sunscreen is the best!
Good tips! I love Aubry and Kiss My Face products… they just feel so much better than those chemical packed types!
@karen- yes they do. They don’t clog your pores as much either.
Hey Amber!
Loving the look of your site now, so clean and pretty!
The sunscreen thing is very important. I’m rather fair-skinned so when it comes to sun I need sunblock or I burn in 10 minutes flat. I avoid the sun when I can, but going to enjoy a few weeks in the sun next month so this is useful.
I always used the Nivea Light Feeling Sun Lotion which feels light indeed and smells nice. Now that I look at the ingredients it contains a whole list of chemicals of what I don’t even know what they are. I always knew that sunscreen wasn’t great, but getting seriously burnt is worse so I always chose the lesser of the two evils.
I’ll try get some organic sunscreen next time:)
Thanks!!
Diggy
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