how to choose safe sunscreens for Summer

Now that it is really getting hotter here, its time to use sunscreen every day!  There are so many different sunscreens out there and its hard to know which ones are the safest and work the best.

What to look for

• active ingredients: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, Mexoryl SX or abobenzone (3%)
• SPF 15 to 50 depending on your skin tone
• Lotions, not sprays or powders
• water-resistant

What to avoid

• vitamin A (reginyl palmitate) causes skin cancer in laboratory tests
• oxybenzone, a hormone disrupter and skin allergen
• High SPF, it  misleads people and offers no additional benefit

best beach sunscreens

 aveeno baby natural protection mineral block face stick spf 50

adorable baby, clear baby sunscreen spf 30

alba botanica  very emollient sunblock, kids mineral protection spf 30

alba botanica very emollient sunblock, fragrance free spf 30

babyganics cover up baby sunscreen for face and body, fragrance free spf 50

best sunscren lip balms

alba botanica natural very emollient sunscreen lip care spf 25 

babyganics cover up kisses lip balm, orange cream spf 20

badger unscented lip balm stick spf 15

best moisturizers with SPF

100% pure hydration organic pomegranate antioxidant, SPF 20

I have been wanting to try this out for a while.  Their lotions are so great!

Desert essence gentle nourishing day cream, SPF 15

Juice beauty tinted mineral moisturizer, ivory, SPF 30 

johnson's baby daily face and body lotion spf 40

Here is a complete list of safe sunscreens on EWG's skin base website.

EWG's hall of shame sunscreen list.  These are the worst sunscreens out there

banana boat ids quik blok sunblock spray lotion, spf 35-4% oxybenzone

coppertone water babies sunscreen lotion, spf 70+ -6% oxybenzone

banana boat baby tear free sunscreen lotion, SPF 50+

Arbonne baby care sunscreen lotion SPF 30

Australian gold baby formula lotion sunscreen, SPF 50+

Neutrogena wet skin kids beach and pool sunblock stick, SPF 70

There are 100s of sunscreens that are unsafe.  These are just a few that are bad.  Be sure to research if a sunscreen is safe on EWG's website before buying any.  

new eyeshadows

Benefits of using natural mineral makeup

• Many dermatologists recommend using mineral makeup
• It does not have any preservatives, chemical dyes, or fragrance.
• A lot of makeup helps cover up skin imperfections, but it can clog the pores and make a skin condition worse.  Mineral makeup is much better because it is oil free and is made of natural minerals.  They do not clog the skin and do not support the growth of bacteria, so this is helpful for people with acne prone skin.
• Mineral makeup contains zinc oxide and titanium oxide, which are sunscreens that protect the skin against UVA and UVB rays.
• Mineral makeup is better for people with sensitive skin who may have allergies to certain makeup

If you haven't guessed already, I want to go into dermatology after Physician Assistant school.

Here are some of my new colors I just made.  I made a lot of matte colors and a couple of colors that I wanted to use for eyeliner.  You can look at more pictures on my etsy shop.

I am about to burst any day now!  Can't wait for my baby girl to be here.  Also, I am sick to death of this whole pregnancy thing.