Summer is in full swing, and that means lots of FUN in the SUN!!!

 

When I was in my 20s, I looooved tanning. I’d be out by the lake or pool trying to work on my tan, and in the winters I’d hit up the tanning booth. SO, SO awful! Ugh. I never really thought of the consequences of all of this sun exposure until it started showing up as signs of wrinkles and sunspots.

 

As I entered my 30s, I became more aware of the need to put sunscreen on, as well as limit my time in the sun. And of course, everything changes when you have kids. Moms, you know what I’m talking about – we slather and spray our kids down furiously before heading out into the sun!

Sunscreens are important because they protect our skin from ultraviolet rays, which are invisible forms of raditation emitted from the sun. It’s important to find a sunscreen that is “broad spectrum” because it can protect against both UVA rays (ones that cause the signs of aging) and UVB rays (ones that cause your skin to burn).

Last summer I always used the spray sunscreens on myself and my family. I knew they probably weren’t great because I’d find myself taking a huge deep breath in, holding my breath and closing my eyes until I was done madly spraying. But, my son couldn’t do this – he was only 1! So he was definitely breathing in all of those yucky chemicals.

Over the past year I’ve tried to do my research and make a conscious effort to use products in my home that are safe. In my research I have been completely disgusted, disappointed and quite frankly feel taken advantage of by companies in the personal care industry. And I feel like our government has failed to protect us against all of the questionable and harmful ingredients that are allowed into our products that we use on a daily basis – including sunscreen we use on ourselves and our families.

 

Did you know that right now, the European Union has banned over 1400 questionable and harmful ingredients in their personal care products? Guess how many the US has banned? 11. Yup, you heard me, 11. And the last time that congress passed a law regulating the cosmetics industry was in 1938! That’s 78 years ago. Think of how much has changed in our world in the past 78 years…don’t you think it’s time they update our laws?

 

Enter Beautycounter. Ahhhh, how it’s changed my world!  They are a disruptive beauty brand that is looking to change things in the personal care industry. Their mission is to get safe products into the hands of everyone, and they believe in creating beautiful, safe products with unquestionable ingredients.

 

I absolutely LOVE their options for sunscreen. They are broad spectrum and they contain NO chemical sunscreen agents (chemical sunscreen agents absorb the UV rays versus scattering and reflecting them like mineral ingredients do) or nanoparticles (commonly found in sunscreens – especially those spray ones – they are extremely small in size so they are easily absorbed into your bloodstream. Little is known about their safety, so Beautycounter stays away from them).

 

Beautycounter has 2 different options for sunscreens, so I thought I’d break them both down for you!

 

The first one is the “Protect All Over Sunscreen.” I love this one. I use it daily on my face and my body. It’s SPF 30, and super lightweight and hydrating.   You can even use it as a daily moisturizer under your makeup in the summer. It rubs in easily, and doesn’t leave any white streaks. It is also safe for kids! It’s water resistant up to 40 minutes, so it’s perfect for hot days! This sunscreen has aloe in it, so it helps to hydrate your skin, and it has antioxidant rich green tea and blood orange extracts to fight free radicals. Love, love, love this!

The second option is the “Protect Stick Sunscreen.” This one is an awesome option for your face and body. It’s SPF 30. I like to use it on my two year old’s face! It goes on super smoothly, and again, it doesn’t leave any trace of that pesky white residue. It’s water resistant up to 80 minutes, so it’s a great choice to have with you at the beach or pool. It’s made from organic coconut oil and acai fruit oil to help hydrate and protect your skin.

And, don’t forget to protect your lips!!! I now have a big sunspot in the middle of my lower lip from not wearing protective lip balms. Beautycounter’s “Protect Lip Balm” has SPF 15, and it’s super moisturizing. It also protects against UVA and UVB rays. It’s made with a combination of natural and organic ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and acai fruit oil. I love this for hydrating and protecting your precious lips!

After reading this, you may be wondering how your current sunscreen matches up to Beautycounter’s sunscreen. I would highly encourage you to head over to the Environmental Working Group’s website and read their 2016 Guide to Sunscreen to find the best and worst sunscreens (FYI, Beautycounter is of course on the best and safest list)!

If you have questions or need help purchasing, let me know!