I've been a fan of Yes to Carrots for a while and use their shower gel and lip butter tubes often. Recently, I came across (at Target, of course) a couple of their products which offer chemical-free spf. Now, Seattle is not known for its bright skies or need for sun-shielding but we can get too much exposure even here.
Last Spring my husband was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma. It was luckily a teeny tiny not-very-deep spot and they removed it all and he is fine - but it resulted in a huge scar and he now has to go for checks by a dermatologist every three months.
I'm definitely guilty of tanning. Yes, as a teenager I may have been out there with only baby oil (yikes) and quite possibly in high school even used tanning beds (double yikes). But I am seriously reformed and most certainly am concerned about protecting myself and my family. But I've also heard safety concerns about certain chemicals used in sunscreens so am always on the lookout for effective non-chemical versions.
Recently I purchased Yes to Carrots Daily Facial Moisturizer with spf 15. Now, that is not the spf number you want for your beach vacation in Hawaii, but I am happy with it for daily use. Unlike many zinc oxide formulas, it glides on smoothly and doesn't leave any whitish film on your face. It doesn't have any petrolatum or paraben and is cruelty free. I am definitely looking forward to trying more of the YTC spf products. Available at stores like Target and Walgreens.
Anyone have any good chem free spf product recs? I'd love to hear!
xoxo
What a timely post! I just saw an article over at AOL News today about how only 39 out of 500 sunscreen products tested actually prevented cancer:
ReplyDelete_"But the most alarming disclosure in this year's report is the finding that vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate, may speed up the cancer that sunscreen is used to prevent....In that yearlong study, tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent faster in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream than animals treated with a vitamin-free cream," the report said. _
Scary! At the end of the article it says "The full list of the best and worst sunscreens can be found on the EWG's searchable database" ("http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/":http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/)
As a teenager I used to envy those girls who always had such a nice tan in the summer. My red hair and fair skin meant the best I could hope for was a mild burn (most of the time it wasn't so mild). But I remember my senior year of high school trying desperately to get tan....and I went to the local tanning salon. Now I do whatever I can to cover up. I've seen the Yes to Carrots line at Target – I'll have to try it out. Thanks for the product review!
my favorite by far is Melaleuca, and not just for the spf stuff, for everything they have! Cleaning, laundry, face, body, and more
ReplyDeleteRatsOnParade - thank you so much for the aol info and link! I will check it out and the products they recommend. I've used ewg to research cosmetics in the past but I didn't know about the 2010 sunscreen list - and I had no idea about the 39 out of 500! Wow!
ReplyDeletewe're doing derm in med school now, and the rates of melanoma are so scary! i'm glad your husband is ok; sunscreen is so crucial (or at least, effective sunscreens). I wish i'd realized that when I was a teen though.
ReplyDeleteHeather - I haven't heard of that one - I'll check it out, thank you!
ReplyDeleteCate - thanks :) thanks for stopping by!
You'd be surprised what is in everything we (especially women) use. It's estimated that we slather on over 100 toxic chemicals in the morning before we even leave for the day (make-up, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, etc).
ReplyDeleteSPF is just one and nobody seems to care to govern what we put on our skin and it is the largest organ we have.
Sorry-this topic is dear to my heart.
For a moisturizer with SPF...I love Kimberly Slayer. It is lightweight and doesn't smell of toxins. Everything is truly "green." YOu should check out the Gorgeously Green website and blog: http://www.gorgeouslygreen.com/. You can get so much good information there. Remember that you actually have to read labels because markets are brainwashing us with "natural" "pure", etc.
Lavera is also a great SPF. Some Targets are also selling it!
Good luck!
I am totally going to pick that up next time I am at Target!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I'll check it out next time I'm at Target...which is often.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much - I've been wanting to try that brand, but haven't yet!
ReplyDeleteI like Alba. And just picked up something from Whole Foods from the MyChelle brand.
Thanks so much for the recommendation. I picked it up with morning.
ReplyDeleteThose Target sandals are adorable!!! And what a fabulous price! Score!
ReplyDeletexo
Valerie
I am so careful about my face...don't want any premature wrinkles anyway my dermatologist said it is so important to have spf which all sunblocks have but you must also use zinc oxcide on your face. If you read the back most suntan lotions do not zinc oxcide in them. He told me that oil of olay complete is the best product for your face. It has the spf and zinc oxcide.
ReplyDeletetriciathomas, Heidi, & Phyllis - thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteValerie - I agree! :)
Christy - great information - thank you so much. I checked out the website and it is wonderful - thanks!
The Girl and The Cupcake and Jill - thank you for your input! I truly appreciate it :)
have a great week xo
avid reader but first time commenter here! as someone who worked as an environmental epidemiologist for yrs (now a stay at home mom who is even more conscious of what goes on/in us!), as the first poster mentioned, i highly recommend the EWG website for all things environmental related! it's pretty user friendly and fairly accurate and well researched--their sunscreen list is worth a look.
ReplyDeletefor the record, i use badger sunscreen on myself and my family...and wear a hat and long sleeves if possible!
stef - thank you so much for your input! - I really appreciate it. I'm going to start referencing ewg much more often & check out badger too :)
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