Safety From Sun and For Skin

Spring sure has sprung, huh? The sun is shining, the temperature (alonside the electric bill) is rising, and the bikes, tykes, runners and sunners are out and about enjoying the weather. The great news is: more people are slathering SPF on themselves and their little ones than ever before. So much so that JustSaying has been asked to take a deeper look into the ingredients in sunblock and offer advice on the best block with the fewest harmful chemicals.

Lucky for us, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a fantastic Shopper's Guide to Safer Sunscreen with the following suggestions:

The toughest part about this topic is that we greenies can get a little nutty about chemical exposure so keep in mind that effectiveness is paramount. Sacrificing effectiveness in say... an all natural deodorant may mean fewer phone numbers at barbeques but skipping the sunscreen is like picking up a smoking habit. It's just plain dangerous. If you or your child have fair skin and need more protection than any of the products listed above is giving you or you simply don't have the extra cash for certain products: any sun protection is better than no sun protection. Lesser of two evils, folks. And remember you can always cover up the old-fashioned way. A lightweight cardigan and sun hat can be of service all season - not only at Preakness - so go ahead an leave 'em in your trunk.

For more reviews and easy lists of the pros and cons of tons of greensumer tested options, click here.

Luvin' LUSH

My super-hip gal pal gave me a glorious, fresh, organic, vegan, handmade bath bomb in my birthday gift-bag last week and was surprised to learn that I had not yet heard about the company that created it: LUSH Cosmetics. Naturally, I visited one of their U.S. stores to learn about their ethics, products and get a little holiday shopping done.

Here's what I found out and why I am adding LUSH products to my list of holiday gift suggestions:

The aforementioned bath bomb/ball is one of many made in their Vancouver factory with a mold made from recycled plastic.

In fact, all the bins and totes in that factory are made with recycled content and products are packaged with recycled paper, not bubble wrap. Not to mention they use electricity cautiously and wisely and encourage their employees to bike to work.

No virgin materials are used for packaging. Their liquid and cream products are packaged in 100% recycled plastic bottles and pots.

The shampoo bar (that my sis/research partner bought from the Annapolis store during our visit) is an awesometastical way to reduce one's carbon footprint because: "Solid products last longer and weigh less than bottled liquids which take more energy to transport... One truckload of LUSH solid shampoo bars is enough for about 800,000 washes. It would take 15 truckloads of liquid shampoo to do the same job.If 1 in 5 people in the US switched from liquid shampoo to solid, about 22 million plastic bottles would be saved from the landfill. On top of this, 6 million tonnes of preserved shampoo would be prevented from entering the environment."

Absolutely no animal testing. LUSH  specializes in making effective, 100% vegetarian products (more than 70% vegan actually) with minimal preservatives.

Although I tend to preach against over-consumption and consumerism, truth be told - giving thoughtful gifts and experiencing new skin and haircare products may be two of this blogger's guiltiest pleasures. Find LUSH's fun holiday products here. If you can't find what your looking for, here are a few other skin and haircare brands JustSaying highly recommends: Aveda, Burt's Bees, The Body Shop, Jurlique (especially the Biodynamic Beauty line) and Skin Preparations.

so loving this skincare line...

In addition to her time spent working as a make-up artist for film, television, and print in the last ten years, the mastermind behind the Skin Preparations line, Annabelle MacNeal has an impressive work history with more major cosmetic lines than I can name. To list a few: M.A.C., Stila, Bobbi Brown, Trish McEvoy, Shiseido, Chanel, Estee Lauder, and Lancome. Throughout her career she searched for products with the perfect blend of nature and science. Unable to find an ideal mix for her taste, MacNeal concocted her own - and it's wonderful. Right now, Bright Eyes is my favorite.

Think: top anti-aging technology mixed with traditional and ancient ingredients. All the products are paraben free, sulfate free, and contain no artificial dyes, fragrance, mineral oil or animal by-products. Ingredient lists and explanations are available for each product on the website.

The best part: the prices. Many of you know that I am also a big fan of the Biodynamic Beauty line by Jurlique and if you have looked into the line you also know that it can be a bit pricey and difficult to purchase locally. So Skin Preparations is my "locaskincare," recession-friendly recommendation.