SUNSCREEN

Amazingly, the sun has been bursting forth in all its glory in the northwest. I know we’re supposed to wear sunscreen on a daily basis, even here, but mine has only been getting consistent play the past two weeks. I’m not advocating my behavior. But in this part of the country where vitamin D deficiency is as common as a caffeine addiction, it’s painful to put a barrier on your skin when you might not see the sun for two weeks. But now that the sun’s rays are shining at full force, there’s no denying the need for the sunscreen.

Santaverde makes a gorgeous sunscreen that I have enjoyed using the past two years. Santaverde uses organic aloe vera as the first ingredient in all of their products rather than water like most others and their sunscreen “emulsion” feels and smells wonderful when applying. The SPF is only 18 though and most dermatologists recommend using 30, and the other problem is I had a difficult time finding Santaverde Sunscreen Emulsion available on the internet. Only Nature of Beauty seems to be carrying it right now and they are currently out of stock. So let me turn your attention to a new sunscreen that I like just as much that does have an SPF of 30.

John Masters Organics is well known for exceptional hair care, their Citrus and Neroli Detangler will always rank high on my list, but their skincare line is deserving of attention as well. The SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen, like Santaverde’s sunscreen, is made with organic aloe vera juice (although it is the second ingredient not the first) in addition to jojoba oil and shea butter which makes for a wonderfully moisturizing sunscreen. The mineral sunscreen is provided by titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, and I’ll answer the question I know you are wondering…no, there is no ghostly white cast from John Masters Organics Natural Mineral Sunscreen. Two pumps from the bottle completely covered my face and neck with little blending effort. The sunscreen melted into my skin and there was no white trace of it to be found. There is no scent and no greasy residue and best of all, it works! Full disclosure though, I do have olive skin so I’d be very interested to hear what a fair skinned gal or guy has to report.

As for my preferred sunscreen for the beach and pool, Soleo Organics SPF 30 wins by a wide margin. It is rated the #1 sunscreen by the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Data Base and has been not only mine, but my kids’ favorite sunscreen for two summers. Its active ingredient is 22.3% zinc oxide which protects from UVA and UVB rays and amazingly does not leave your skin white. It does go on a bit greasy, that’s why I leave it for serious sunning and my kids. It’s made with macadamia oil, grapeseed oil, and vitamin e, so it glides effortlessly over your reluctant children’s skin which takes some of the hassle out of this unpleasant chore. Best of all, it doesn’t sting their eyes or yours, and when the label says waterproof, they mean it. We brought Soleo Organics on two trips to Hawaii and it did not let us down, even when we were lax with the afternoon reapplications.

So those are my natural and organic sunscreen recommendations. I would love it if you all would share your favorite sunscreen finds in the comments below. Don’t be shy!

Sun Worship by estelucy on etsy.com