The Ins and Outs of Sunscreen

It's hard to know what and who to believe when it comes to sunscreen. I've found one of the best sources is the EWG Guide to Sunscreens that they put out each year to help you make educated decisions. Find the guide here. 

I've probably tried every brand of natural sunscreen there is. Okay, maybe not every one. And even though I am biased, Beautycounter is hands down my favorite. It comes in three options - a traditional lotion and two sizes of sticks. Not only does it leave you less white than the others I've tried, it works. And the real kicker is that the sticks smell enough like chocolate that my boys have actually been known to hide under the table to put more on. Not fighting them to get sunscreen on is worth endless amounts of money :)

A few things that I have learned about natural sunscreens:

1. If it is a lotion, make sure you shake it well before every use. Since most natural sunscreens don't use synthetic ingredients they are more likely to separate. Just shake and apply.

2. Reapply, reapply, reapply. Experts recommend every couple of hours in most of the US and even more often closer to the equator (that's you Southern friends) and closer to the sun (i.e. in the mountains). 

3. Make sure that what you buy still gives you full UVA/UVB protection but know that most experts don't believe that the higher the SPF the better. It goes back to the reapply, reapply, reapply. 

4. Unlike chemical sunscreens, if your lotion has zinc oxide or titanium dioxide it is effective immediately. 

To top off the personal health concerns, researchers recently connected coral reef damage to oxybenzone. As published in TIME magazine: "Researchers behind the study, published in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, found that the chemical oxybenzone has toxic effects on young coral that causes endocrine disruption, DNA damage and death of coral, among other the problems. Oxybenzone also exacerbates coral bleaching, a process by which coral reject symbiotic organisms and lose their color. Bleaching has been particularly prevalent in recent years due to rising sea temperatures."