Summer is here and we are in the hottest month of the year. That means less clothes and more outdoor activities near reflective water. A combo for some serious burning if you’re not well protected. With a little help from my freinds over at YourDailyThread, they have compiled some great info on healthy and effective sunscreens. In addition, here’s my skinny on why conventional sunscreen products kinda suck as well as what you should look for in a safe sunscreen:
Bad
- Vitamin A or retinyl palmitate – More studies have shown that Vitamin A, can be listed as retinyl palmitate, can increase your chances of developing skin cancer.
- Oxybenzone – Has been linked to hormone problems because it is a synthetic estrogen.
- Insect Repellent – conventional repellents contain DEET, an awful toxin that should not get anywhere near your skin.
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- Good
- Broad-spectrum – sunscreen blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Buy at least 7 percent zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for broad-spectrum protection.
- Water resistance for pool, beach, and use during exercise. Maybe look for a “sport” version for extra stickage!
- All natural ingredients. What goes for your regular cosmetic & beauty products rings true here. Anything on your skin gets sucked in so no garbage in your creams!
- Stability in sunlight as UV radiation permeates the skin if it can’t hang in the sun.
- Buy new sunscreen every year, and make it 30 SPF. I know it seems like a waste to toss out a half full bottle of stuff but buy smaller bottles at the beginning of summer so you don’t throw out excess next year.
- Don’t wait until you feel the burn to apply your sunscreen! Be sure to put it on before you hit the rays. Also, reapply often, every 1 to 2 hours. Especially if you are swimming or sweating.
- Protect yourself from 93 percent of the sun’s rays with SPF 15. Protect yourself from 97 percent of the sun’s rays with SPF 30.
- Just because it’s not sunny out or there might be a chill in the air, doesn’t mean that the sun isn’t getting you. Always have sunscreen handy!
- Cover up when you can. Don’t walk around in your bikini or swim trunks ALL day!
My personal FAVE, healthy, vegan sunscreen is the Badger SPF 30. It even has bug repellent BUT it’s all natural goodies ; ) Great for kids too! Some more that make the cut for my list are Kiss My Face and Desert Essence.
From my pals at YourDailyThread:
The Environmental Working Group has updated its listing of safe and effective sunscreens. Here are some of the interesting facts they discovered:
• 59 sunscreens with SPFs from 55-100+ block just 1-2% more sunburn rays than an SPF 30 sunscreen.
• 1 in 5 moisturizers that offer all day protection offered little to no protection against UVA rays. There has also been an increase in malignant melanoma tumors from UVA rays.
• Lip cancer is most common on the bottom lip, where sun exposure is most direct. Only 2 out of 5 lip balms were found to provide accurate UVA protection.
Just like with their cosmetic safety database, the sunscreen database is easy to use and allows you to type in by brand or ingredient. And since it’s 2010, you best believe there is an iphone app.
Plus they’ve put together their own guide of best sunscreens. To see how your brand rates click here.And if you are going on a snorkel or aqua sports vacation, you may also check this list of reef safe sunscreen brands to help protect the coral reefs while protecting your skin.
We’ve also updated a few of our staff favorites to help you shun the sun in a safe, all natural and effective way.
FACE
Juice Beauty SPF 30 Tinted Mineral Moisturizer: The YDT Team can’t get enough of this tinted mineral moisturizer and spf. Not only do you get clear, clean protection from the sun, you also get a pleasant glow from the tint. It’s not rated by the EWG but our trusted source at Green Line Beauty recommends it.
Josie Maran Argan Oil SPF 40: Not rated on the EWG, but based on reading the ingredients it looks pretty safe. It’s a good day time moisturizer and goes well under makeup. We love that it has argan oil.
Arcona’s Reozone
Tinted SPF 20. Made locally in L.A., it goes great under make-up and gives you a nice little glow-any time of year. The product uses titanium and zinc. It receives a 3 on the EWG scale.
BODY
Easy To Find:
Alba Botanica Mineral Sunscreen: We love that you can find this sunscreen almost anywhere theses days (think Whole Foods to CVS). We don’t like that it can be a bit of a pain to rub on completely (think the movie “Powder“). Rates a 3 on EWG.
Harder to Find (But Worth it):
Epicuren Zinc Oxide Sunscreen: Goes on really easily, non-greasy, smells and feels like marshmallow!
Keys Soap 30+ SPF Solar Rx Sun block: is rated clean and green by the Environmental Working Group; plus it’s got good stuff like vitamins and shea butter for moisturizing under-sun bliss-I use it every day of the year. Its score on the EWG scale is 1.
La Roche-Posay SPF 40: This product has never burned my eyes, does not leave my skin feeling slimy or my pores feeling clogged, it minimizes sunburn and I appreciate the high SPF. It has titanium and receives a 3 on the EWG scale.
Soleo Organics Sunscreen SPF 30: Soleo rubs on smooth and even and is great as an everyday sunscreen. Plus, it has strong UVA and UVB protection. Best of all it receives a 1 on the EWG scale. If you like the soft, supple dewy look, this is the sunscreen for you.
Here is to a green, healthy & burn free summer!
