May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month! This lines up perfectly with our topic for the month – skin.
There is so much you can do easily to protect your skin. A little bit of sunshine can go a long way to helping boost your vitamin D levels (which is great!), but too much sun can cause sun damage, premature aging,and possible skin cancers.
Most of us know to protect our skin from sun exposure, especially if you live in a sunny, hot state like I do. But are we doing enough to protect our skin and using the cleanest, most toxin-free products to boot?
Protective clothing is a great option for a non-chemical barrier. Think longsleeve board shirts, rash guards, or a great SPF fishing/outdoor type of shirt. And don’t forget a hat! A wide-brimmed hat will help protect the delicate skin on your face (and is stylish too!). I pretty much live in a hat and longsleeve shirt all summer despite the Texas heat, which is a far cry from my days on the Connecticut shore as a teenager (baby oil, SPF 4, and a bikini – my poor skin!). But it makes a difference!
When you can’t or don’t want to use clothing as a barrier (because let’s face it…summer is hot), you want to use the cleanest, most effective sunblocks you can find. There are SO many sunscreens,sunblocks, sprays, sticks, etc. on the market, and it can be hard to find one that protects your skin with the fewest toxins. I’m sharing two of my favorite clean sunblocks below, but as you’re shopping for sun protection, look for products that are mostly zinc (which is a physical barrier to UV rays) and have natural plant extracts for moisturizing. Those protect your skin without too many added toxins. And always check EWG Skin Deep if you want to evaluate a product!
Here are the two sunblocks I have found and love. I use one or the other every day before I walk out the door. The first is Keys. This one is super lightweight once you get it all rubbed in and has a very light, fresh scent. It works for me all day, but you would need to reapply if you are swimming or working out. The second one is Countersun. This, like Keys, is zinc-based and formulated with more natural products and provides a physical barrier.
Affiliate links included in this post. You won’t pay more, but I may make a little. Thank you!