Zinc is the New Tan

In the Californian eternal Summer we have to think about our sunscreen use often, lest we resemble a ninety year old at forty. Of course we always have the option to pay money to painfully inject numbing fluid into our face muscles so we can achieve that youthful glow of the expressionless, but that’s not for everyone.

So there are two main ways to block harmful rays, one is mineral filters and one is chemical filters.  If you read the ingredients of that sunscreen bottle you’ll see they will almost always contain the chemical filters. These chemical filters penetrate skin and their most common problem is that they can affect hormones and do things like bump up estrogen, which is connected to cancer. Here are a few of them listed from worst to least worst: Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene.  You gonna remember those? Maybe just generally avoid O words. 

Mineral sunscreen uses Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide, which have much fewer risks and side effects. They are made from ground up minerals and they generally don’t penetrate the skin and yet are still equally as successful in blocking the harmful rays.

The trouble is that some mineral sunscreens are horrible.  I once used a natural sunscreen that would never rub in, it sat that the surface of my skin white as snow and ready to extend its UV blocking glory to any person I came in contact with, you could have trailed my activities that day by following the faint white residue I left behind. Also, some brands like Sun Bum give off that natural aura because they have no phalates which is good, but they still have the harmful chemical ingredients listed above (unless you buy their baby products) so always read the listed ingredients. 

My favorites are Alba,  Jason, Kiss My Face and The Honest Company, but there are tons more. 

Source: EWG

Beach Basics

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday. Fourth of July is the introductory celebration of Summer time.  I look forward to it every year.  Being with friends who are fun and a little crazy.   It starts with pool time, chips and salsa and catching up.  Friends who are planning a wedding, friends who are contemplating new jobs, friends who just returned from a trip, friends who are healing from breakups, friends who are weird, some loud, some with purple hair, they’re all there laughing and eating watermelon and re-applying sunscreen. The sun is warm and water cool, and blow up toys become vehicles for races across the pool.  After lots of time spent together we all know the individual details of the people that make up the whole.  The loud laughers, the couple that will never get enough of each other, the creative ones, the bantering siblings, the smart ones, the one in jeans, we all have our place. Once we are sufficiently exhausted with chlorine skin and wet hair we get on dry clothes and warm sweatshirts while we ravenously eat our BBQ burgers in the lawn and watch the competitive ones play games.  Walking to fireworks, a big pile of people huddled together on a few blankets on the grass looking up at lights and explosions and a spontaneous painful rendition of God Bless America, which our fellow lawn mates loved I’m sure.  Apple Pie and ice-cream, a few more laughs, car rides home, warm beds and warm skin for the win. 

With that, here are some summer time poolside or beachside basics! 

Madewell One Piece // Sun Bum Sunscreen // Gentle Monster Sunglasses // Madewell Straw Hat // Apolis Tote // Apolis Beach Towel // Zara Dress (on sale)

Simple Beauty

With sunshine and summer time, our hair gets lighter, our skin salty and warm like copper, and freckles bronzed with the sun are embraced never covered. It's the perfect time to tone down the beauty regime and give a bear hug to the natural.  Moisturize with beachy oil, leave the wind swept waves in your hair, embrace nude and golden face colors and keep it all low maintenance.  After all, that's what summer is for. 

Bobby Brown Beach Body Oil // Bare Minerals Tinted Hydrating Cream with SPF // Laura Mercier Eye Pencil in Brown Copper // Sugar Nude Lip Balm // Sun Bum Sea Spray

I love you Honey Bear

Honey is a really great substitute for sugar and has a lot of excellent health benefits if - IF you buy it raw, organic & local.  It’s actually really important that you buy good honey because most store bought honey has little to no pollen, propolis, enzymes or nutrients in it.  Basic store bought honey has been so finely filtered in order to keep it from crystalizing thus removing almost all of the pollen (side note, you can de-crystalize your honey by warming it up in the sun). The mass produced honey has been changed so dramatically from it's original form that the FDA has questioned whether or not it can still claim the name honey.  

Pollen is also the only element that helps us trace where the product is coming from. Tracing is helpful because a lot of the honey is coming from China with potential contaminants and honey from bees treated with antibiotics, which we do not need more of in our diets.  Farmers markets are a great place to get the real deal honey bear.

Local honey is also a great thing to buy when you travel if you have allergies.  Once you arrive in a new place try to quickly get a hold of a spoon full of local honey because it will expose and adjust your body to the local pollens and help you acclimate more quickly.

Honey is also great to aid in topical healing. You can put it in a bandaid over a cut, or cover a canker sores for quicker healing. You can put it on areas of your skin and rinse it off to help with acne, dark circles, scars and wrinkles. 

Honey does not spike your sugar like refined white sugars do avoiding an elevated insulin release. It can also helps you sleep because it slowly releases glycogen needed for bodily function during sleep.  If you add it to milk before bed it helps the body release melatonin, so you can sleep well Honey Bee. 

Raw Honey has so many health benefits my mom just takes a teaspoon of it every morning.  With so many proteins vitamins and minerals it would do you good to put a spoonful or in your coffee as it one of nature's most complete health foods. It's alkaline forming, boosts the immune system, cough suppressant, aids in blood sugar and cholesterol regulation & can calm an upset stomach. 

How many times did I just say honey? A lot. Honey. 

Sources: Life Hacker // Dr. Axe // Organic Facts // FDA // US National Library of Medicine

A Lemon a Day

I'm a big believer in lemons as I love both their flavor and health benefits.  Citrus trees are in full bloom with spring right around the corner. So grab some off your mom's tree or buy some at the store, and if you can manage to squeeze a lemon into a glass of water every day the nutritional benefits are huge. Lemons aid the digestive system (helps with weight loss) & the immune system, promotes skin health, contains potassium, Vitamin C, and Pectin Fibers among A LOT of other things. 

One of the most important health benefits to lemons is they help maintain ph levels in the body. We often have very acidic levels in our bodies due to low fiber, hormones in our foods, lower nutritional value in our foods due to industrial farming, alcohol, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, stress, lack of exercise, pesticides, and the list goes on.  If we allow our bodies to stay acidic in the short term we will see more allergies, asthma and colds, and it the long term things like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.  Note: You can also accomplish PH balance by diluting a shot glass of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water and maybe some raw honey (don't drink it undiluted as it's hard on the esophagus and your teeth). It tastes really bad so I prefer lemon water. 

My mom's tree is exploding with Meyer Lemons so I'm trying to preserve them the best I can.  I've squeezed the juices of quite a few and put them in Ice Cube trays to melt in a glass of water.  I've also made some lemonade by doing equal parts lemon to water and some agave (add more water and agave depending on how tart or sweet you like lemonade).  You can also add them to salad dressings (lemons, Olive Oil, salt, pepper & garlic).  Lastly you can freeze the juice in a popsicle mold with some agave and blackberries for a nice treat on a warm day.  

The options are endless and the health benefits are too.