Summer is quickly approaching and it's time to think about how we can keep looking fabulous while also protecting our skin! Sunscreen in recent years has been touted by doctors to be 'absolutely necessary' to prevent skin cancer or other skin conditions. The problem with this is that sunscreens are not created equal and in many cases may be harmful. In addition to this, research is now demonstrating that sun exposure is important for a number of biological processes and a research article in the Journal of Internal Medicine states

"...avoiding the sun "is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking"...

But...this is a post for another time. If you ARE going to purchase sunscreen, make sure you check the ingredient label. I personally have thrown out all of our old sunscreens because they were filled with awful chemicals many being known carcinogens. KNOWN!! Why would you put something in a product if it is known to cause cancer??? And if that isn't alarming...The EWG (Environmental Working Group) tested 1,400 different sunscreens and only 5%, met their safety standards and over 40% were listed as potentially contributing to skin cancer.

Check to see if any of your sunscreens contain:

Oxybenzone
Retinyl palmitate
Synthetic fragrance

If they do, toss them and find a safer option...ESPECIALLY if you are trying to conceive, are pregnant, or are using your sunscreen on your littles. These chemicals potentially cause hormone disruption and may even increase the speed at which malignant cells grow and develop. Synthetic fragrance is a really tricky one because it allows companies to hide harmful chemicals under one umbrella. Fragrance can include any number of chemicals but most commonly parabens or phthalates which are considered carcinogenic and hormone disrupting.

There are SO many safer options on the market and this makes my job as a mom SO much easier! Not only am I not wasting time perusing the aisles at Target wondering if I chose the "right" brand, I know that the product I have chosen for my guy is safe. My personal favorite is Beautycounter's Protect All Over in a tube and in a stick. We are now stocked up and for those of you who have tried to put sunscreen on a squirming baby or toddler...you NEED this stick. (FYI, babies 6 months and under don't need sunscreen...cover them with clothing and hats and keep them in the shade!) I keep one in my purse, my son's bag, my work bag, and our stroller. They're so easy to apply and don't leave those white streaky clouds on the skin! Everyone wins.

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In the spirit of full disclosure, this is an affiliate link, which means that I may get a commission if you decide to purchase anything from Beautycounter. However, I only recommend products & systems that I use and love myself.