As the weather warms up, more of us remember about putting on sun protection. Of course living in San Diego, we are out in the sun a lot!  In the back of my mind I realize that the sun's rays actually get to me while I'm driving my car every day, but I don't think about sun protection until
I'm going to an event and I'll know I'll be outside.

WHAT TO AVOID
It really surprised me when I first started becoming an "Ingredient Geek" that one of the most popular ingredients
in many sunscreens and moisturizers is Retinyl Palmitate.
I was SHOCKED to learn that it actually is like a sun magnet to draw the sun's rays to you, and has been linked to skin cancer, accelerating the process (WHAT?!)

Some other common ingredients to avoid are:

• Oxybenzone (EWG Rating 8: a sunscreen ingredient associated with photoallergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Endocrine disruption and Persistence and bioaccumulation)
• Octinoxate (EWG Rating 6:  ingredient is shown to have hormone-mimicking effects on laboratory animals. Endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental toxicity, organ system toxicity) 
• Octisalate (EWG Rating 4: Suspected to be an environmental toxin.  May cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals) 
  
• Octocrylene (EWG Rating 3: HIGH CONCERNS: Biochemical or cellular level changes. Also, ingredient is suspected or measured to accumulate in people. Suspected to be an environmental toxin.  It may cause allergic skin reactions in sensitive individuals.) 
  
• Avobenzone (EWG Rating 2: Sunlight can cause this ingredient to break down and lose its effectiveness for skin protection).  A recent study found when that chemical comes into contact with sun and chlorine, it can become toxic. (WHAT?!)

I'm also not crazy about nano-particles because I don't want unknown ingredients & chemicals going all the way into my cells ~ who knows what that will do to me years down the road?  The nano-particles are ending up in our oceans and waterways wreaking havoc on our coral and marine life.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The top ingredient I look for is NON-Nano Zinc Oxide.  I suggest looking for a Physical Sunscreen rather than a Chemical Sunscreen. Chemical based sunscreens must be absorbed into the skin to be effective via a chemical reaction with the UV rays. Since most have crazy ingredients (as noted above) that often degrade in sunlight and can have lasting ill effects, I don't recommend them.  

Physical sunscreens work by sitting on top of the skin to deflect damaging UV rays. They are kind of like wearing hats and long sleeves to physically block the sun. Zinc Oxide seems to be the safest sun protection available since it protects from the full spectrum of UVA and UVB rays and doesn't degrade in the sun.

PUREhaven Essentials has a new lightweight sunscreen formulated with non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.  Tested and registered to meet SPF 30 FDA standards.  It has clean ingredients, including Aloe Vera Gel, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Almond Oil, Sesame Seed Oil and Cocoa Butter.
Item #16500

Fragrance is everywhere and it's not just in your perfume, it's also in your personal care products. Because it's classified as a "trade secret" companies DO NOT have to disclose what's included and usually it's hiding toxic chemicals.

Why use synthetic fragrances that can contain hundreds of toxic chemicals, when you can create your own?  I like to put the scent blends that I create in a rollerball for ease of use. 
My current favorite coming out of winter and into spring is: 

• Base Note ~ 10 drops Cedarwood 
  (Rich, woody aroma... calming, soothing, grounding for mind & body)
  
• Middle Note ~ 6 drops Peppermint
  (Cooling sensation ... calming effect on the body, boosts energy, improves mental focus)
• Top Note ~ 4 drops Sweet Orange
  (Citrusy yet sweet smell ... helps uplift and energize the mind and body)
  
• Fill rollerball with Jojoba Oil 
  (Jojoba is the perfect “carrier” to mix with any essential oil or oil recipe that comes into contact with the skin. The properties of Jojoba closely resemble the body’s own natural skin)
  

Here's a great chart about Top, Middle and Base “fragrance notes” in the classification of essential oils
Let me know if you'd like get together to experiment making your own fragrance.

Be an "Ingredient Detective" and check the labels on all your home and personal care products ~ even so-called "green" companies hide behind the word "fragrance"! My previous blog post What to Avoid: Fragrance gives you more information about this.  We disclose all our ingredients so you will not see the word "fragrance" used in any of our products.  We use unadulterated essential oils, tested for purity, at recommended safe levels in combination with time-tested, beneficial botanical butters, powders, extracts, oils, and waxes, to create our well-loved line of safe products.

Let's gather a few friends together and I can show you a few products you can easily replace with nontoxic alternatives, or I can share a DIY recipe or two 😊 

According to this article ~ The Most Toxic Cosmetic? Traditional Lip Glosses, Finds Study, you won’t see heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury listed on your beauty product labels. But that doesn’t mean your skin care and makeup is free of them. A Canadian environmental group recently had 49 popular beauty products tested for heavy metals...Lead was detected in 96 percent of the products, arsenic in 20 percent, and cadmium in 51 percent!

According to What’s In Your Lip Balm? 6 Scary Ingredients To Avoid  Did you know that many common lip balms contain several endocrine disruptors (parabens, BHT, and chemical sunscreens), coal tar dyes linked to cancer, artificial fragrance and flavor, and petroleum-derived oils that can lock it all in.

Phenoxyethanol has become the new darling of the chemical industry as it was once thought to be a safer alternative to parabens. Phenoxyethanol is a glycol ether. Glycols are a series of chemicals that find their way into all sorts of things: paint, lacquer, jet fuel.....  It is used as an anti-bacterial in cosmetics as well as a stabilizer in perfume.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) says that phenoxyethanol is

• Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin
• Can cause reproductive damage  
• Toxic to kidneys, the nervous system, liver 
• Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage 
• Repeated or prolonged inhalation of vapors may lead to chronic respiratory irritation
  

This is found in baby products, sunscreen, moisturizers, conditioners, cleansers, makeup, etc.


Learn more at: 
✔  Wellness Today by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Phenoxyethanol in Beauty Products: Is It Safe?

✔  EWG's SkinDeep Cosmetic Database
Phenoxyethanol

✔  Truth in Aging
Phenoxyethanol