By Recycla
This is the last week of school for Recycla’s daughters, which means that next week the girls will resume their usual summer pursuits of swimming, riding bikes, trying to hula hoop with their non-existent hips, and more. They will be outside for hours every day.
With the girls spending so much time outside, Recycla will do her best to protect their skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays. Most sunscreens contain chemical ingredients like benzophenone that prevent sunburn by absorbing directly into the skin. This is not stuff that Recycla wants to be absorbed into her daughters’ pores.
The smarter choice? Mineral-based products — formulated with zinc oxide, titanium oxide, or a combination of both — that create a physical barrier to reflect UVA and UVB rays off the body. Luckily, there are a variety of options out there for Eco Warriors. Lavera, Kiss My Face, Alba Botanica, Origins, and Avalon Organics are just some of the brands that you can trust. Just to be safe, the Eco Women recommend that you read this review at Skin Deep, which is a cosmetics safety database. To see sunscreens that the Eco Women reviewed last year, click here.
No matter which sunblock you choose, Recycla reminds you to use sunblock all the time and protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays. Wear a hat for more protection and don’t forget to drink lots of water to stay hydrated! Finally, don’t forget to keep your lips covered too — for information on lip balms, see this review by the Eco Women last year.
Good reminder, especially for our kids, as the majority of skin cancers come from sun damage we get before age 20, says my husband, retired plastic surgeon.
Yes, no need for skin cancer (my husband already went through TWO surgeries to remove his!)