Still, I thought you guys might wanna hit up the following:

• Use the code REPEAT2012 and get $15 off a full size bottle of perfume from A Perfume Organic. Green sounds like my kind of scent.
• Check out this post on caren’s  blog, which includes helpful tips concerning which ingredients to avoid in your sunscreen and which foods may protect your skin from the sun. Sup, dark chocolate?
• Take it from the queen of crusty elbows: this cornmeal scrub is worth trying.
• Who knew coffee filters could be so useful?

I’m off to study, nap, and then repeat. Wish me luck!

If you’ve checked out the sponsor section of Turby & John, then you might’ve noticed something pretty exciting.

Not only does the blog have its first paid advertiser, but it just so happens to be one of my favorite companies in the whole world: Karen’s Botanicals. And if you head on over to the Karen’s Botanicals site then you can get 15% off any order with the code TURBYANDJOHN!

Here are a few past reviews of some of my favorite Karen’s Botanicals products-

• Rehydrating Aloe Vera Lotion
• Perfect Lotion
• Gentle Cleansing Lotion
• Melissa Rose Toner

Be sure to check out the safe and natural sun and summer care as well. With plenty of outdoor fun just around the corner, protecting ourselves from harmful UVA & UVB rays should be a top priority!

What a great Tuesday, right?

The second and last facial sunscreen I used while at the beach was Arbonne’s SPF20 Restorative Day Creme, a product with many positives and one big negative.

Ingredients (provided at arbonne.com)- “Active Ingredients: Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 8.0%, Zinc Oxide 7.35 %. Inactive Ingredients: Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, PEG-40 Stearate, Dimethicone, Orange Peel Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Matricaria Flower Extract, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Clover Flower Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Thioctic Acid, Ceteareth-20, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Polyamino Sugar Condensate, Urea, Panthenol, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride, Lecithin, Sodium PCA, Stearamine, Squalane, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyglycerin, and Phenoxyethanol.”

None of Arbonne’s current formulations of products are in the Cosmetics Database, so I’ve linked to each ingredient individually above. The ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are as follows: PEG-40 Stearate (3-6, depending on usage), Retinyl Palmitate (8), Tocopheryl Acetate (4), Ceteareth-20 (4-7, depending on usage), Lecithin (3-5, depending on usage), and Phenoxyethanol (3-4, depending on usage). Additionally, there is no data for Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Polyacrylate-13, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7.

Here’s what the EWG has to say about Retinyl Palmitate (the ingredient in this product with the highest hazard score)- “Retinyl palmitate is an ingredient composed of palmitic acid and retinol (Vitamin A). When exposed to UV light, retinol compounds break down and produce toxic free radicals that can damage DNA and cause gene mutations, a precursor to cancer. Recently available data from an FDA study indicate that retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions. FDA also raised a concern that extensive, daily skin application of vitamin A creams may build up in the woman’s body a high enough level of Vitamin A that may be toxic to the developing fetus.”

Yikes!

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of parabens and petroleum-based ingredients (like Benzene, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Phthalates, and Toluene).

2. It’s cruelty-free and there are no animal products or animal by-products.

Product Description(provided at arbonne.com)- “High concentrations of advanced moisture-enhancing ingredients support collagen, and protect and restore skin’s youthful appearance.”

Price- From around $40 to $50 for a 1 oz. bottle.

Performance- This sunscreen managed to keep my skin from burning while also keeping oiliness at bay. My skin actually looked radiant for the few days I was using this product. Also, applying this creme takes no time at all; it absorbs quickly and stays put for hours.

Scent- It smells nice, light and citrusy, with a mild sunscreen finish.

Rating- 7/10. I’m subtracting 2.5 points for the questionable ingredients, 2 of which are being subtracted specifically for Retinyl Palmitate (an ingredient that, in my opinion, has no business being in sunscreen). I’m subtracting another half a point for the price.

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I mentioned that I had a some samples of Kiss My Face Oat Protein Complex Sunscreen in June’s sunscreen post, and I finally used them on my most recent trip to the beach!

Ingredients (provided at iherb.com)- “Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 3.0%, Zinc Oxide 4.5 %. Inactive Ingredients: Aqua, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, polysorbate-20, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, glycerin acrylates copolymer, cetearyl alcohol, stearic acid, xanthan gum, avena sativa (oat) protein, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, carota sativa (carrot) extract, avena sativa (oat) betaglucan, glycrrhiza glabra (licorice) extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglyerin.”

This product earns a overall score of 3 in the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Report. The two ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are Octinoxate (6) and Phenoxyethanol (3/4, depending on usage).  There are two ingredients with no data, and they are Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate.  This sunscreen provides good UVB protection, moderate UVA protection, and it has respectively moderate and excellent UVA/UVB balance and sunscreen stability.

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens.

2. It was made with no animal ingredients or testing.

Product Description(provided at iherb.com)- “Practice safe sun with this effective formula made with natural oat protein and betaglucans that moisturize, help reduce irritation and fight the signs of aging.”

Price- From around $9 for a 4 oz. bottle.

Performance- As stated in yesterday’s post, I used this product only on my face to avoid the white residue left by the Loving Naturals Sunscreen. Since this sunscreen isn’t formulated specifically for the face, I kind of expected it to cause me to break out. However, I was pleasantly surprised to still see clear skin after three days of using this product (which is how long I used it before trying out another sunscreen that was made for facial application…I’ll be reviewing that one tomorrow). It did cause my skin to look a little greasy, but this is something I’ve come to expect with any and all sunscreens. It did a fine job of protecting my face from the sun too, which is obviously very important.

Scent- It has a pretty typical sunscreen scent, and it also smells slightly tropical.

Rating- 8/10. I deducted a point for the greasiness and another for the two questionable ingredients.

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My late to arrive Loving Naturals Sunscreen might not have arrived in time for the summer’s first beach vacation, but I kept it in my beach bag at all times on the second trip. It proved to be a real life saver!

Ingredients (provided at lovingnaturals.com)- “Active Ingredient: Non-Nano Zinc Oxide 24.8% Other Ingredients: Grape Seed Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides (derived from Coconut Oil), Soy Wax (Non-GMO), Organic Sesame Oil, Organic Plum Kernel Oil, Candelilla Wax, Organic Cocoa Butter (Fair Trade), Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Organic Macadamia Nut Oil, Organic Cocoa (Fair Trade), Organic Green Tea, Sea Salt, Water.”

This product makes the list of top sunscreens in the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Report. It has an great overall score of 1, which takes into account the product’s ingredients, UVA/UVB protection and balance, and stability. None of the ingredients have hazard scores above a 2.

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens.

2. It’s cruelty-free and vegan.

3. It provides UVA and UVB protection.

Product Description(provided at amazon.com)- “Natural skin care products are very important, specifically sunscreen because of how often it needs to be applied and the concern that chemicals can be absorbed into the skin. You will find that many of the so called “natural products” don’t seem so natural after reading a long list of ingredients that are hard to pronounce or that you may have never heard of. For this reason we have started our company, Loving Naturals, created out of the desire to use the most safe and natural products on our children and yours. You can be assured, we will earnestly research every ingredient we use, use the most natural ingredients that are available and always disclose every single ingredient. This is our promise to you! Please visit our website for more details on the ingredients we use.”

Price- From around $15 to around $19 for a 5 oz. bottle.

Performance- My only complaint with this sunscreen is that even after rubbing it in for several minutes, it still left my skin looking slightly white.  For this reason, I didn’t use it on my face (I alternated between two other sunscreens for my face, which I’ll be reviewing tomorrow and the day after).  White skin aside, this stuff kept my skin safe and sunburn-free each day I was at the beach. Not only did it keep me from getting roasted, but by the end of the week my skin was also mega smooth from having used it all week.

Scent- It has both an oily and nutty scent that I found preferable to many of the more heavily scented sunscreens I’ve used.

Rating- I’m subtracting 1 point for the lingering whiteness, but this product easily earned a 9 out of 10.

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Silly hats are the only worthwhile items Ron Jon Surf Shop has to offer.

Hey guys, I hope you’re all having the best week. Here are a few links to some summer/beach related articles I’ve recently come across. Enjoy!

• Several of these casual updos could easily be recreated for a relaxing day on the beach or just a hot day in the sun.
• This sunscreen infographic is so informative! I love arming myself with useful information.
• Parts 1 and 2 of Eco Stiletto’s Eco Bikini Feature are very promising. Bikinis made from recycled water bottles and organic cotton? I can’t wait for parts 3-4!
• Get a bikini wax this month and kill two birds with one stone.  Be swimsuit ready and support cervical cancer and HPV research.

1. Beach Bag- Kirby bought me this fun bag when we were at the beach with my family recently, and I knew it would perfect to use as a beach bag for the approaching vacation with his family. There’s plenty of room for towels, books, sunglasses, and an assortment of other treats.

2. Tervis Tumbler- This insulated tumbler will be perfect for holding my choice of refreshing beverage.

3. Nail Polishes and Remover- A girl has gotta keep her toes looking fly at the beach too, right? The three bottles of polish that aren’t piggy paint came with a French manicure set I came across at Marshalls for cheap. Don’t worry; they’re big 3 free!

4. Headbands- I can think of few things I hate more than sweaty bangs on my forehead. And fyi, both of these headbands are homemade. I made the simple flower one and Danielle made the pretty braided one. Here’s to hoping she’ll let me bring hers.

5, Lip Balm- Burt’s Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm tastes like an orange push up, so I obviously love it. I’m also bringing Alime Pure’s Organic Nourishing Lipbalm in Holly Berry, for when I’m feeling a little fancier. It doesn’t have SPF like the Burt’s Bees stuff, but it does contain Titanium Dioxide, so I’m assuming it provides some sun protection?

6. Sunscreen- My Loving Naturals Sunscreen finally arrived, and I am so excited to use it. Check out these stellar ingredients!

7. Sun Hat- Because sometimes sunscreen isn’t enough.

Remember last week’s sunscreen post? Well, I ended up buying the Loving Naturals Sunscreen mentioned in that post. Unfortunately, and even though I opted for two day shipping with my Amazon Prime account, I didn’t receive the sunscreen in time for vacation. Since my first choice was no longer an immediate option and I needed something to prevent sunburn, my mom had a bottle of Alba Botanica Green Tea Sunblock waiting for me when we arrived at the condo Saturday night. She’s kind of the best.

Ingredients (provided at albabotanica.com)- “Homosalate 10.0%, Octocrylene 10.0%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5.0%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%, Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice(1), Calendula Of cinalis Flower Extract(1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract(1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract(1), Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract(1), Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol(1), Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium BenzoateCitronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Fragrance (Parfum).

(1)Certified Organic Ingredient

The old formulation of this product receives a hazard score of  5 in the Cosmetics Database, and I couldn’t locate the current formulation in the database.

In the formulation change, the following ingredients were removed from the product: Oxybenzone 6.0%, Avobenzone 3.0%. ingredients: isopropyl palmitate, VP/eicosene copolymer,  cetyl phosphate, steareth-21,  steareth-2, carbomer,  tocopherol (vitamin E).

The following ingredients were added to the product: Octocrylene 10.0%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%, Cetyl Alcohol, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol(1), Ethylhexylglycerin,  Sodium Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool.

In the current formulation of this product, the ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are Fragrance (8), Benzyl Alcohol (6), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (6), Polysorbate 60 (3-6), Tocopheryl Acetate (4), Citronellol (4), Geraniol (5), Hexyl Cinnamal (4), Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde (5), Limonene (6), and Linalool (4).

Some great things about this product:

1.  It’s free of parabens.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

3.  It’s water resistant.

4. It’s cruelty-free.

5. It provides both UVA & UVB protection.

Product Description(also provided at albabotanica.com)- “Perfect for daily wear, our non-greasy Green Tea Sunscreen, with antioxidants and certified organic aloe vera, absorbs quickly and effectively with a light, fresh scent.”

Price- $9.95 for 4 fl. oz.

Performance- I applied this sunblock to my body and face the first few mornings of vacation before heading to the beach. Unfortunately, after a couple of days of applying this product to my face, I noticed a small rash made up of tiny, unsightly bumps on my chin, nose, and cheeks. For the rest of the week, I applied the sunscreen to only my body and wore a straw hat to protect my face. The rash quickly disappeared, and my body never got a bit of sunburn. After using only the hat to protect my face, though, my nose did get a little pink toward the end of vacation.  Still, if you ask me, a pink nose is always preferable to a face rash. It’s probably important to note that I only applied this sunscreen once a day (in the morning), and after spending a few hours in the sun reading or playing in the ocean I’d retreat to the shade of the nearest large umbrella, where I’d remain until heading back up to the condo. I did this daily and intentionally to avoid having to apply sunblock twice a day. One application is time-consuming enough!

Scent- This product has a very pleasant scent that’s pretty fleeting and isn’t easy to describe. It doesn’t smell like green tea at all, but it does smell a lot like Burt’s Bees Green Tea & Fennel Seed Shampoo. After the initial pleasant scent fades, which takes no more than 30 minutes, it begins to smell like regular ol’ sunscreen. I find this neither pleasant nor unpleasant, and it’s subdued enough to be easily ignored.

Rating- 6/10. I’m subtracting 2 points for the questionable ingredients and another 2 for the rash that occurred on my face.

Would I purchase this item again? This product smells nice and it definitely kept me from getting sunburned, but I will probably never buy it again. I’m much more likely to go with a safer option, like my late to arrive Loving Naturals.

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After realizing that all three of my bottles of sunscreen were expired, I began looking for a safe and affordable replacement to bring with me to the beach. I researched my past purchases (the first three below) and several other sunscreens I’ve yet to try. Below are my findings, made (for the most part) incredibly easy by the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Report.

Burt’s Bees Chemical-Free Sunscree (SPF 30)- This sunscreen has excellent stability and good UVB protection, but the merely moderate UVA protection and the presence of fragrance and sodium borate in the ingredient list might be future deal breakers.

Price- around $15.00 for 3.5 fl oz.

Nature’s Gate Aqua Block (SPF 50)- Excellent and good UVB/UVA protection (respectively) seems promising, but the high hazard score of Oxybenzone, one of the active ingredients, is quite alarming.

Price- around $8.99 for 4 fl oz.

Alba Botanica Facial Sunblock (SPF 20)- This sunscreen has been reformulated at least once since I bought it, and it might even have a new bottle.  The current formulation provides only moderate UVA and UVB protection, so I probably won’t be repurchasing it.

Price- around $9.95 for 4 fl oz.

Kiss My Face Cell Mate Facial Creme & Sunscreen (SPF 15)- While the link and the picture are specific to the SPF 10 version, I actually have two small free samples of SPF 15. Still, I cannot imagine their performance and ingredients being terribly different from one another.  And while I do still plan to use my free samples, the poor UVA protection and presence of Oxybenzone are not at all ideal.

Price- around $21.oo for 1 fl oz.

Kiss My Face Oat Protein Complex (SPF 30)- I have two free samples of this sunscreen as well. Perhaps its decent ingredients and excellent stability will overshadow its moderate UVA protection.

Price- around $12.95 for 4 fl oz.

And now for those that appear to be the safest (unfortunately, affordable products with entirely exceptional ingredients aren’t as easy to come by):

Badger Unscented Sunscreen (SPF 30+)- With low health concerns, good UVB protection, and excellent UVA protection, this sunscreen seems like it might be a winner. For something a little fancier and for the same reasons, I’d also like to try the Badger Lightly Scented Lavender Sunscreen.

Price- around $16.00 for a 2.9 oz tube.

Aubrey Organics Natural Sun Unscented Sunscreen (SPF 30+)- Good UVA/UVB protection? Check! Excellent stability? Double check! Low health concerns? Triple check!

Price- around $13.67 for 4 fl oz.

Loving Naturals Sunscreen (SPF 30+)- This sunblock has excellent UVA protection and stability. Additionally, its UVB protection is good and its health concerns are low.

Price- around $18.99 for 5 oz or $9.99 for 2.7 oz.

True Natural Cosmetics All Natural Sunscreen (SPF 40)- This sunscreen has fantastic ingredients, excellent UVB protection and stability, and good UVA protection.

Price- around $17.99 for 3 oz or or $7.49 for 1 oz.

Tropical Sands All Natural Sunscreen (SPF 50)- The UVA/UVB protection and stability of this sunscreen are all excellent, and the health concerns are low. It seems pretty great all around.

Price- around $19.95 for 5.4 oz.

I hope you guys find this information as useful as I did! I’ll let everyone know which choice I made with a product review in the near future.

If for some reason you feel like none of the above sunscreens would work for you, then you might wanna check out the full list of Top Sunscreens.

Image Sources: Burt’s Bees, Nature’s Gate, Alba Botanica, Kiss My Face Cell Mate, Kiss My Face Oat Protein Complex, Badger, Aubrey Organics, Loving Naturals, True Natural Cosmetics, Tropical Sands.

Here’s some of what the Environmental Working Group has to say about Retinyl Palmitate:

“Retinyl palmitate is an ingredient composed of palmitic acid and retinol (Vitamin A). When exposed to UV light, retinol compounds break down and produce toxic free radicals that can damage DNA and cause gene mutations, a precursor to cancer. Recently available data from an FDA study indicate that retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions. FDA also raised a concern that extensive, daily skin application of vitamin A creams may build up in the woman’s body a high enough level of Vitamin A that may be toxic to the developing fetus.”

Read more of what the EWG has to say. Also, here’s a link to a list of all the relevant articles on the EWG website.

This website, however, seems a bit skeptical of the dangers of Retinyl Palmitate. It links to several studies concerning Retinyl Palmitate which are, for the most part, way over my head. Most of the studies seem to either be suggesting that adverse effects of Retinyl Palmitate are unlikely because of the unique, specific, and extreme conditions in which the studies were done or that there is not enough evidence to make the assertion that it’s dangerous.

As usual, I’m just as torn as I was in the beginning.  My research wasn’t entirely fruitless, though. I may not purchase sunscreen with this ingredient in the future, but I’m no longer afraid to use my facial cleanser that contains Retinyl Palmitate. Any residue from my face wash should be taken care of (ie: removed) by my toner before I go outside. Still, I’ll definitely try to avoid the ingredient in any and all products that are exposed to sunlight.