Beach Essentials and a lil' sunscreen info

 Sometimes we have beach days, sometime just "beach hours." Beach days mean rolling coolers and packing snacks. Since our proximity allows us to head over to the ocean before work or between thunderstorms, we only need to grab a few things.

For a quick hour or two beach trip here are my must haves. Click on the links for where to buy:
1. A book or mag. (Ok, sometimes I bring a catalog because the photography is beautiful?)
2. Mineral based sunscreen such as the Badger stick and Alba Very Emollient, shown above. More on this below. I got mine at Whole Foods.
3. Cute espadrilles. Love my new Fendi Pequin espies, which are on sale at everywhere right now! If you're trecking through seaweed then bring the water shoes.
4. Shades. This should be #1. What was I thinking? Calico Shades from Anthropologie.  Sometimes I bring the polarized if I'm going to be in the sun a lot.
5. A cool towel and a chair. I love my Fresco Towel. They're like art. I can no longer find mine but this and this is close.
6. An umbrella. This Sport-Brella is amazing. It shields like SPF 50, and it's like a tent. It's the best beach investment ever.
7. A Frisbee or a junior sized football. The regular ones hurt my junior  fingers. I recommend an Ultimate Frisbee to cut through the winds.

So about sunscreen. 

I used it religiously.

 I've even purchased something crazy like SPF 80.

 I realized my skin was breaking out in little rashes and I got more acne in the face. A lot of this is due to other products and the humidity here, but the rashes on my body made me feel like something wasn't right with my sunscreen. Then I read Food Babe's article on the damaging effects of sunscreen on your health, and began to change my regimen. Seriously, read it and do some research. The Oxybenzone seeps into your skin and can cause allergic reactions. I used the Alba stuff just know and my skin feels soft. In fact, the ingredients of the Badger stick are this:

 
It contains EVOO! I eat that, so yeah, I can have that on my skin. The Environmental Working Group's Website contains lots of useful information about sunscreens. Check out Nine Surprising Facts about Sunscreen, and Best Sunscreens. 

I am not dermatologist, so ask one if you have concerns. We're told to prevent skin cancer by slathering on sunscreen, never mind that this stuff is potentially harmful. For now I'm just gonna use the natural stuff (less than the conventional products because it's more expensive), and limit my sun time. 

Happy Summer and stay safe out there!

-LRW