Avoid these toxins in your sunscreen this summer

Everything we put on our skin is absorbed into our body. Our skin is our largest organ, so using clean non-toxic skincare products matters so much. 

Since summer is here, we’re going to talk about this - because this is when we are putting the most on our skin like sunscreen and aloe gel, etc. These are all necessary products to use in the summer, but not all products are created with the same ingredients. There can be drastic differences among companies making these products. At the end of this episode you'll know what ingredients to avoid.

My weird hobby is researching ingredients in products and seeing if they are safe or not safe to put on our skin. I know it's weird, but I'm sure you have some weird hobbies too. So no worries, I did the research for you because you're probably too busy to pick up new strange hobbies. I get it. 

First let's talk about sunscreen. There are some pretty nasty chemicals you want to avoid for you and your kids, and the environment. Avoid any sunscreen with any ingredient that ends in “paraben” for example, butylparaben and propylparaben. These ingredients are typically known endocrine disruptors, disrupting hormones, have been linked to breast cancer, can cause allergic reactions, and are not recommended for pregnant women.

Fragrances or Parfum are also a key ingredient you want to avoid. “Fragrance” can be used to label many different chemicals, and the risks are typically similar to allergy symptoms and in more extreme cases can trigger an asthma attack.

Oxybenzone is an ingredient you want to stay away from for your health and the environment. It damages Coral Reef by making it more susceptible  to bleaching. And it’s also a hormone disruptor specifically affecting estrogen and testosterone. 

These ingredients are also in sunscreen meant for babies and young children. 

I’ve used sunscreens with all these ingredients before, I didn't know any better. But now I know better so I do better. 

Check the popular sunscreen brand you're using and its store brand version of it. Even if it claims to be organic and natural, do a little check on the ingredient list. 

A brand I love and trust is Sonrei Sea Clearly - its reef safe, paraben free, unscented, and cruelty free. It’s funny how I found this brand, I started telling my phone exactly what I wanted in a sunscreen and crazy enough I started getting a ton of all natural sunscreen ads on instagram. I researched them all and went with this brand because it goes on completely clear unlike most all natural sunscreen that doesn't rub in very well. 

The next summer must have aloe gel. Hopefully you won't need it because you'll remember to wear your sunscreen. But in case you forget to wear or or maybe you just love the smooth feeling of aloe on your skin after a hot day - lets make sure you're using a good brand.

I first want to mention that when researching this, a brand that labels themselves as “pure organic aloe” was one of the most toxic ones. Trust the ingredients, not the marketing. 

Avoid any ingredients that end in “paraben,” fragrance or parfum for the same reasons as the sunscreen. 

Also avoid Imidazolidinyl urea/diazolidinyl urea: this ingredient is in the most popular lime green aloe vera gel, you know what I'm talking about. This ingredient is known for triggering eczema and skin irritations.

A great brand to use is Beauty By Earth Aloe Vera Gel, they're completely clean and safe for children. 

Shower Butter is also extremely soothing for your skin after being in the sun all day, it’ll soothe your skin while deeply nourishing it, helping you hold that sunkissed glow as long as possible. It's my own products so I can proudly say it only has 3 completely clean, vegan, and natural ingredients that are safe for you and your kids.  I use it as shaving lotion, an in shower moisturizer, and apply it after my skin care routine before bed on my face and lips as a moisturizer. 

Thank you so much for being here!

XO, 

Liv