Even though we won’t necessarily spend this summer at the beach, a clean mineral sun screen is a must! I love sunbathing, it nurtures my body & soul and if done safely it’s amazing for skin and vitamin D absorption which we get so little of, spending most of our time inside buildings. I use SPF on my face daily, winter or summer, snow, rain or sunshine. It’s so important to always protect the face from the sun to prevent premature ageing and melasma. On the body however, I like to be without sunscreen for the first ten to twenty minutes when I lay in the sun so it can fully absorb that vitamin D and then I apply my favorite mineral sun protectant. Since it can be tricky to switch from conventional to natural products, I thought I’d share a bit about mineral sunscreen and my personal favorite product!
Sun screen was one of the first products I switched to clean and natural as chemical sun cream is highly toxic for us as well as our planet. Those active chemical filters can be detected on the skin and in the blood for weeks after just a single use. Studies have shown that they are likely to disrupt hormone function and the reproductive system. The most common chemicals in sunscreen are oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and avobenzone. These substances are not only harmful to us humans but also our oceans and marine life. When we swim or shower, the chemicals are washed off into our waterways and affect coral reefs, algae and sea animals. It’s critical to switch to natural sun protection to help reverse the effects of sea life dying off and ultimately, climate change.
The clean alternative is to use mineral sunscreens which contain zinc or titanium and work as physical UV blockers. When I switch from a conventional to a natural product, it must check all the boxes, I prefer to do my research and find the very best clean cosmetic product that does not disappoint in performance, scent and texture. For sunscreen that meant SPF 50 (always!!), nice smell and no white residue when applied which can bee a bit tricky with physical sunscreens. After some trial and error I found my one and only go to sun protectant from The Organic Pharmacy, I use it daily on my face and on the body when needed. It smells amazing, has very few and simple ingredients and I love that I can use the same product for face and body. The cream is based on zinc- and titanium oxide and a blend of almond oil, shea butter and rose hip. All ingredients are organic and never tested on animals. If I could pick one essential product for the summer (and beyond!) it would for sure be this one!
