You’ve got this whole mineral sunscreen thing. How difficult can it be? Mineral is safer than chemical, use a facial sunscreen on face, body sunscreen on body, choose your appropriate SPF/Broad Spectrum/Water Resistant option as needed, and make sure you use safe sunscreen ingredients. Off you go into the UV bathed sunset.

Then you wake up and realize you have an issue or two with your bare bones sunscreen selecting method. Are non-whitening sunscreens invisible even on darker complexions? Will your facial sunscreen give you zits or dry your skin out? What if your sensitive skin doesn’t like your sunscreen? Do you put foundation over or under your sunscreen? Is it okay to wear foundation with sunscreen, is that even done?

Yikes! You’ve gotten yourself into quite the sunscreen conundrum. Not to worry, we are here to help. Yes, mineral is the safe sunscreen choice. Yep, it is best to use products designed for face on your face. Sure, SPF and Broad Spectrum protection are valid concerns. And of course, avoid toxic chemicals.

But there are other concerns to take into account too. Like skin type and tone. You wouldn’t purchase any old facial moisturizer and expect to be happy with the results, would you? Of course not! You would make sure it is designed for your skin type. Same goes for makeup. A foundation has to match your skin tone and it is equally important to use a sunscreen that does the same.

Lucky for you, there are options. Products for every skin type and tone that provide serious UV protection. Oh, and you are going to love them.

Safe Sunscreens for Face by Skin Type

Oily/Acne: Consonant The Perfect Sunscreen SPF 30 is made with aloe and ultra light oils to provide non-greasy hydration and is fragrance-free, so ideal for sensitive skin too. Pratima Skincare Neem Rose Face Sunscreen SPF 30 provides anti-aging benefits in a light, breathable formula. Bonus product: Use Kahina Giving Beauty Serum while not in the sun for anti-aging benefits along with spot and sun damage diminishment, all in a breakout-proof formula.

Dry/Mature: A rich formula that absorbs into skin, True Natural Sunscreen: Face Broad Spectrum SPF 15 is perfect under makeup. Karen’s Botanicals Lovely Lavender Day Cream SPF 15 is thick and creamy, hydrating to mature skin, but also gentle enough for sensitive skin types. Bonus product: Get max anti-aging support with absolutely no irritation with Yuli Modern Alchemist.

Sensitive: RawSkinCeuticals Rosacea Day Cream SPF 30 is strong protection for delicate skin in a super mild formula. (Also see products marked sensitive in oily and dry categories) Bonus product: Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Fruit & Seed Oil Blend calms and protects skin, while fading scars and spots. Perfect post-sun skin recoup.

Normal/Combo: Suntegrity Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer SPF 30 is a moisturizer, sunscreen, and makeup primer in one. Non-greasy and provides anti-aging benefits. Bonus product: Hailed as an anti-aging miracle, Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum minimizes fine lines, improves texture and tone, and reduces inflammation.

Tinted Facial Sunscreens

Now about that makeup over or under sunscreen problem. How about nix the makeup and use a tinted, moisturizing sunscreen instead. If that sounds too good to be true, hold onto your bikini bottoms because these natural tinted mineral sunscreen moisturizers are going to makeover your summertime get ready sesh.

Suntegrity5-in- Natural Moisturizing Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 30 offers high quality sun protection, super natural color, and feels great on skin. Use in place of your daily moisturizer and foundation for ultra natch UV protection with light coverage. These tints are so blendable, they easily match any skin tone. Suited to all skin types, especially good for mature, dry, and normal/combination.

Those with sensitive or oily skin will love Ilia Beauty Sheer Vivid Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20. A semi-matte facial moisturizer with mineral sun protection and easy to blend tint. Six natural shades to suit all skin tones.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

Related on EcoSalon

5 Beach Bags We Love

4 Simple Summer Makeup Looks Using Only One Product

The 4 Best BB Creams for Summer Skin

Image of women having fun on the beach via Shutterstock

The post Safe Sunscreen for Every Skin Type and Tone appeared first on EcoSalon.

When the summer heat is on, sun protection is a must. But how do you determine a truly safe sunscreen from the many options out there?

Recently, the northeastern seaboard turned into a giant microwave oven, searing its occupants with 90-degree plus weather and, I’m pretty sure, 10,000 percent humidity. With sunscreen and summer still a novel concept, people frolicked care-free in the sun in madras pants and flowing dresses. I was one of them. Spending almost the entirety of Saturday in the sun, I diligently applied and reapplied my favorite certified organic sunscreen.

What happened? While my sunscreen held up, my applications skills did not. A bright red splotch still beams from the top of my foot. A streak of angry red runs along my neckline. There are actual thumb prints on my knees. I am an excellent walking public service announcement for why sunscreen matters.

Sun safety is paramount, and this includes safe sunscreen options. What do we mean by safe? As we recently outlined, some ingredients in conventional sunscreens might act as suspected hormone-disruptors and support the acceleration of tumors and lesions. Suddenly, a little sunburn doesn’t seem so bad—except sunburns, of course, may cause skin cancer.

Luckily, the safety-conscious sun worshippers among us have options. The Environmental Working Group recently released their 2013 Guide to Sunscreens, outlining their picks of the best sunscreen and SPF products on the market. This list includes 184 beach and sports sunscreen, as well as 22 moisturizers containing SPF.

Which ones to pick? We’d sign off on any of them, as well as these EcoSalon-approved protectors. Here are five of our favorite sunscreens from the EWG’s 2013 compilation.

1. John Masters Organics Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 ($32.00)

From organic specialist John Masters Organics come this lovely, lightweight sunscreen suitable for all skin types. With titanium dioxide and zinc oxide offering a broad spectrum protection, it also acts as an excellent moisturizer. Made with extracts of green tea, shea butter and jojoba oil hydrate, this certified organic product is biodegradable and reef-friendly. The EWG gives it a 2 (a 1 is the highest rating), citing excellent sunscreen stability and a good UVA/UVB balance of protection.

2. Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm, SPF 15 ($29.45)

This mineral sunscreen offers up a solid chemical-free protection. Acting as a physical sunblock that bounces the sun’s rays off your skin (chemical sunscreens absorb it), this balm brings an intense 22 percent zinc oxide protection. It also contains natural vitamin E, the gold-standard ingredient for skin health. The EWG gives it an overall rating of 2, citing an excellent balance of UVA/UVB protection and stability.

3. Aveeno Baby Natural Protection Face Stick SPF 50 ($9.99)

Aveeno—yes, that Aveeno—offers up this easy-to-use sun protection in a handy stick. Using titanium dioxide and zinc oxide for its protection, this product is both oil and fragrance free. The EWG gives it a rating of a 2, citing excellent sunscreen stability and good UVA protection. Who knew the aisle at your local drug store could be so EWG-friendly?

4. DeVita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+ ($20.76)

One of the best trends in sunscreen is light protection that doesn’t make you feel like a 1970s lifeguard smearing white streaks of zine oxide on her nose. (Though, 40 years later, said lifeguard likely has a lovely, sun-protected nose.) I, for one, am so adverse to that oily sunscreen feeling that I’d rather walking around in a personal radiation suit. So, three cheers for the moisturizer plus sunscreen from DeVita Solar. Given a rating of a 1 from the EWG, it offers up excellent UVA protection, as well as sunscreen stability.

5. Episencial Sunscreen SPF 35 ($15.00)

For “ages 0-150 years,” this broad spectrum sunscreen offers up a light, water-resistant protection. Made with organic green tea and zinc, it can be worn in the water (or sprinklers!) for up to 80 minutes. The EWG gives it the highest rating of a 1, citing its excellent stability, as well as good UVA and UVB balance.

Photo: Flickr/M00by

FTC Compliance 

The post 5 Super Safe Sunscreen Options for Summer appeared first on EcoSalon.

Winter is finally setting in, but if you are fortunate enough, you may have a warm weather escape on your horizon! It turns out that I am the aforementioned lucky duck who writes this post from the middle of the Indian Ocean on a set of exquisite islands off the coast of India, just west of Sri Lanka.

Getting here was a bit of a journey (four different airplanes and five time zones later!) – suffice it to say, there were all together too many changeovers, and I arrived in paradise without my luggage. So, I made a list of the essentials and went shopping. It turns out, you only need a handful of items to live quite well on an island. Here is my list:

1. Edeline Organic Cotton Stripe Dress by Jackpot.

2. Olga Olsson Rose Rio Bikini – luxury swimwear with environmental consideration.

3. Melissa Cute flip flops by Melissa’s Plastic Dreams.

4. Juicy Couture’s Choose Green Jasmine Sunglasses – created from 55 percent bio-based renewable plant materials.

5. Kid Safe Screen in SPF 25 from Marie Veronique Organics.

So, while I hope you do not encounter the missing luggage dilemma I did, I do hope this gives you guidance for a lighter more free-spirited tropical holiday. Because the truth is, less really is more.

The post Beach Retreat: 5 Essential Items for a Tropical Getaway appeared first on EcoSalon.