These are my Ocean-safe Sunscreen Tips + info on the adidas Oceans Run in NYC.
Look at me! All decked out for summer fitness and spending oodles of time in the sun! The funny part about that last sentence is that I’m terrified of the sun even though I love how good it can feel on the skin. I leanred in my late 20’s and early 30’s that the sun can destroy your skin, and how easily one can contract skin cancer. So I don’t play that game anymore of going out in the sun without any sunscreen. Nope! The big news, when it comes to sunscreens, is that the FDA is reevaluating the safety of every single chemical sunscreen agent until November of 2019.
Already, many sunscreen brands and products using chemical ingredients have started to change their labels or discontinue certain lines. While many changes are still happening and we won’t get the FDA’s final results until November, what we do know is that MINERAL SUNSCREENS have been found to be the safest for both human skin and our planet’s oceans. Mineral sunscreens do not contain harmful chemicals that could potentially kill plant and marine life, and they are less prone to penetrate human skin. By the way, I’m no scientist but this is the information I’ve been reading and researching about why the sunscreen industry is now shifting to all mineral based sun care.
What I recommend is looking for the 2 following sun filtering ingredients that the FDA has deemed safe, popularly used in many mineral suncreens: Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. If you’re not heading to the ocean, feel free to use the chemical sunscreen you have at home from last year but just know that those chemicals could be seeping into your skin and bloodstream.
I threw out all of my non-mineral sunscreens at the start of 2019 when I first began reading about the oceans being affected. One of the problems is coral bleaching, which makes me really sad. I love animals so the thought of sea turtles and fish being sickened by sunblock really hits a nerve…and that was enough for me to throw out all the toxic products I had…even the expensive and unopened ones.
Here are a few of my favorite brands in the picture above: Skin Medica’s mineral SPF30 Essentail Defense for the face, Colorescience Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 for body, and Bare Republic Mineral SPF30 with a slight tint for face, neck and shoulders.
Please excuse the sandy pics but these pics were taken in a very real, unstaged moment while I was on the beaches of Nevis Island. I carry around my sunscreen in a fun irridescent fanny pack from adidas that’s water resistant. I love carrying around my products and essentials this way because it forces me to reapply while out in the sun. Dermatologists say you should be reapplying your sunscreen every hour. Think of how much could fill a shot glass and that’s how much you should put on!
And don’t just apply your sunscreen when you’re on the beach or pull. If you go for a bike ride, a walk or it just happens to be a sunny day, put that SPF lotion on! Every sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer, including melanoma!
I was covered in sunscreen in this shot below of me mountain biking in Nevis, and my back still got sunburned! I wish my arms were a little longer so I could self-apply better but I’ve got arms like a T-Rex being as petite as I am :(
My adidas fanny pack looks so cute, right? I love how it matches all my neon colored fitness clothes that I’ve been wearing lately. Irridescent accessories pretty much go with everything because they reflect so many colors.
Speaking of adidas, who I’ve partnered with on this post and who I so enjoy continuously writing for, they are doing a Run For The Oceans race in honor of World Oceans Day happening this Saturday January 8th 2019, starting around 7pm. The event includes more than just the run and it’s all taking place in Brooklyn, NY so head on over and enjoy all the festivities. There's a yoga class too!
The run raises money for ocean conservation against plastic pollution that is also affecting our oceans in addition to toxic chemicals from sunscreens.
adidas has been so focused on their role in helping to save the oceans that they also created a fitness & sport collection called Parley to improve the sustainability of plastic-free oceans. Parley sportswear is made from plastic trash that might otherwise be dumped into the ocean. How cool is that?
So my question to you here is: how are you going to help us save the oceans of our planet? Will you commit to wearing mineral sunscreen, be more dedicated to recycling and get involved in activities like Run For The Oceans? I’d love for you to swim over to this floating bandwagon and join our efforts.
Thanks for leaving your thoughts below and checking out the new Parley collection! See you at the race!
XOXO, Bianca Jade