Summer's starting to wind down, but there is still a full month of potential sunburns before the season officially ends. Are you still using sunscreen?
This incredibly powerful video about UV light is making the rounds on the Internet right now, and I highly suggest spending the 3 minutes or so watching it. Go ahead, I'll wait.
How's that for crazy? I don't know what type of sunscreen is used in the video -- mineral or chemical -- but I think it's safe to say that any liberally-applied mineral sunscreen will give you similar protection to that seen here.
Don't become a wallet-face!!! I've got a couple posts on sunscreen in the queue and no, it's not too late to still be talking about it. Skin protection is a year-round gig!
Yours in healthier living,
Jazzy
Showing posts with label Sunscreen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunscreen. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Summer's start
Can you tell I'm already checked out for the summer? We're headed out of town for Memorial Day weekend, and I'm pretty excited. But blogging doesn't stop! I promise I will get back to a regular schedule again soon?
Have you seen EWG's 2014 Sunscreen Report? Check it here. Me, I'm all kinds of pissed off at my local Whole Foods for putting out a nice display of Kiss My Face sunscreen products and pricing them without regard to health and toxicity. The 8-oz Mineral Formula spray was $17.99!!! Amazon is selling it for $18.65, and Drugstore.com doesn't even carry it (but tried to tell me that the other spray sunscreen lotion is 'natural' with all its avobenzone and other junk. Snort.).
What gives, retailers?? Mmm?? It's not enough to hardly ever carry actually safe, gentle products -- when you do carry them, they have to be priced so outrageously to lower demand and prevent consumers from making informed buying decisions.
WHAT. EVER.
Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!!
-- Jazzy
Have you seen EWG's 2014 Sunscreen Report? Check it here. Me, I'm all kinds of pissed off at my local Whole Foods for putting out a nice display of Kiss My Face sunscreen products and pricing them without regard to health and toxicity. The 8-oz Mineral Formula spray was $17.99!!! Amazon is selling it for $18.65, and Drugstore.com doesn't even carry it (but tried to tell me that the other spray sunscreen lotion is 'natural' with all its avobenzone and other junk. Snort.).
What gives, retailers?? Mmm?? It's not enough to hardly ever carry actually safe, gentle products -- when you do carry them, they have to be priced so outrageously to lower demand and prevent consumers from making informed buying decisions.
WHAT. EVER.
Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!!
-- Jazzy
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Olay Stories
Have you seen Olay's latest campaign? #OlayStories. Olay's put the whole thing on Pinterest, of all places. I am loathe to keep shining a spotlight on companies/ads/products that are misleading and borderline dishonest, but I suppose we have to do that to find the man behind the curtain.
Olay is playing up big time the 'everywoman beauty' as it has for a few years now. Great. But the new campaign takes it up a notch by featuring, as its first "Best Beautiful" story, skin cancer survivor Hillary. Her personal story, along with professionally-shot video and portraits, are the launchpad of this campaign.
On its face, I don't disagree with it. I am thrilled to see a company buck the trend of using one version of today's woman as the only version. But that's pretty much where my admiration for #OlayStories ends.
Turns out that the campaign is no different than Revlon's breast cancer awareness campaigns. Both companies are using cancer as a marketing tool. It's gross and irresponsible.
Hear me out. Olay is touting specific products as spokeswoman Hillary's 'beauty regimen' -- without regard to the fact that these products contain harmful chemicals. Revlon did the same thing with the series of ads featuring actress Emma Stone and her mother, a breast cancer survivor.
For kicks and giggles, I looked up 'Hillary's favorite' -- Olay's Total Effects 7-in-one anti-aging moisturizer with sunscreen. Parabens, check. Avobenzone, check. Oxybenzone, check. I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall.
Used to be that the endorsement of a celebrity was all a company needed to sell its cosmetics. Nowadays, the endorsement of a cancer survivor has so much more weight. Is that right? What's the message here? 'She's just like you, only she made it through what was probably the most horrific experience of her life. And now she's choosing our products, so you should, too.'
How much is Hillary being paid for this gig? I'm not saying that to be flip. I'm really curious. Consumers are hip to how much celebrities are paid for their endorsements -- potentially loads more than their actual vocation -- so how do the companies handle their deals with regulars like us?
Look, I don't like sh*tting on a fellow survivor, who probably more than anything wants to raise awareness for skin protection, and I don't fault her for getting caught up in Olay's smoke and mirrors. That said, I will NOT overlook or ignore instances of cosmetics companies exploiting cancer survivorship as a means to push their crap products. Olay, until you clean up your products, consider yourself on my sh*t list.
Righteously indignant,
Jazzy
Olay is playing up big time the 'everywoman beauty' as it has for a few years now. Great. But the new campaign takes it up a notch by featuring, as its first "Best Beautiful" story, skin cancer survivor Hillary. Her personal story, along with professionally-shot video and portraits, are the launchpad of this campaign.
On its face, I don't disagree with it. I am thrilled to see a company buck the trend of using one version of today's woman as the only version. But that's pretty much where my admiration for #OlayStories ends.
Turns out that the campaign is no different than Revlon's breast cancer awareness campaigns. Both companies are using cancer as a marketing tool. It's gross and irresponsible.
Hear me out. Olay is touting specific products as spokeswoman Hillary's 'beauty regimen' -- without regard to the fact that these products contain harmful chemicals. Revlon did the same thing with the series of ads featuring actress Emma Stone and her mother, a breast cancer survivor.
For kicks and giggles, I looked up 'Hillary's favorite' -- Olay's Total Effects 7-in-one anti-aging moisturizer with sunscreen. Parabens, check. Avobenzone, check. Oxybenzone, check. I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall.
Used to be that the endorsement of a celebrity was all a company needed to sell its cosmetics. Nowadays, the endorsement of a cancer survivor has so much more weight. Is that right? What's the message here? 'She's just like you, only she made it through what was probably the most horrific experience of her life. And now she's choosing our products, so you should, too.'
How much is Hillary being paid for this gig? I'm not saying that to be flip. I'm really curious. Consumers are hip to how much celebrities are paid for their endorsements -- potentially loads more than their actual vocation -- so how do the companies handle their deals with regulars like us?
Look, I don't like sh*tting on a fellow survivor, who probably more than anything wants to raise awareness for skin protection, and I don't fault her for getting caught up in Olay's smoke and mirrors. That said, I will NOT overlook or ignore instances of cosmetics companies exploiting cancer survivorship as a means to push their crap products. Olay, until you clean up your products, consider yourself on my sh*t list.
Righteously indignant,
Jazzy
Monday, May 12, 2014
Learning the hard way
I consider myself a conscientious person. Definitely detail-oriented, sometimes almost meticulous. So what gives that I've already gotten a sunburn this season?
That's the funny thing about sunscreen -- it doesn't work if you don't use it!
I'm not such a great advice-giver if I don't even heed my own advice.
So let's try that again. WEAR SUNSCREEN. Any and every day that the sun is strong enough to cast a shadow. And believe me, it's strong enough. That sun means business.
What else is on deck for this week? I've had a product review stewing for a while that I need to get posted, we're celebrating SMACK!'s real anniversary (!!) and there's some news from last week that needs discussing.
And sunscreen. We have to talk more about sunscreen.
Happy Monday!
-- Jazzy
Thursday, May 1, 2014
The most wonderful time of the year
Cute, huh? That's two Game of Thrones references in as many days. Aren't you lucky!!
It also serves to kick off my seasonalnagging coverage about the use of sunscreen. To me, that's the real sign of Spring and even warmer weather to come -- the need to keep your nose from frying off your face.
That sun is some strong sh*t, but too many sunscreens are full of nasty, nasty chemicals. As we did last year, we'll look at the best offerings on store shelves for safer sunscreens. EWG usually publishes its annual report in time for Memorial Day, but I'd rather get a jump on the season since UV light doesn't know -- and doesn't care -- what month we're in.
If you aren't already, put on some goddamn sunscreen!! Make it a habit. Every day that there's enough light to cast a shadow. It doesn't have to be beach weather in order for the sunlight to damage your skin.
And if you're unsure of what's safe, or what to avoid, hang around. We'll review ingredients and try to make sense of labels so that you're not wasting your money.
Yours in fairer skin,
Jazzy
It also serves to kick off my seasonal
That sun is some strong sh*t, but too many sunscreens are full of nasty, nasty chemicals. As we did last year, we'll look at the best offerings on store shelves for safer sunscreens. EWG usually publishes its annual report in time for Memorial Day, but I'd rather get a jump on the season since UV light doesn't know -- and doesn't care -- what month we're in.
If you aren't already, put on some goddamn sunscreen!! Make it a habit. Every day that there's enough light to cast a shadow. It doesn't have to be beach weather in order for the sunlight to damage your skin.
And if you're unsure of what's safe, or what to avoid, hang around. We'll review ingredients and try to make sense of labels so that you're not wasting your money.
Yours in fairer skin,
Jazzy
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Whatever you do, don't inhale...
Sorry for the late post. I was having one of those mornings where, despite being awake early and having loads to do, my bed was so impossibly and perfectly cozy and comfortable that, well, I opted for that instead. And now I'm paying for it: catching up with writing, supervising workers in my house, an endless to-do list...ah, such is life.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
SMACK! Reviews: Everyday Coconut Daily Face Lotion
Has it really been two weeks without a product review? Well, in that case...
I came across this lotion a many moons ago during a splurge trip to Whole Foods. I say splurge because even though I did really need each item I bought (hair color, eye makeup removing wipes and this lotion), I didn't take the time to see if the local health food store had better prices or better items. It was more about the instant gratification, so whatever. The original post about that shopping trip is here.
I'll take the opportunity now to also share my experience using EWG's 'Make Your Own Report' feature for their Skin Deep cosmetics database. Have you used it yet?
See, Everyday Coconut doesn't have any products in the database. No matter, I filled out all the forms, copied and pasted the ingredients from Everyday Coconut's website and voila! My own report, which rated this product as a 2 (on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being super effing toxic, don't set foot near this product).
Here's what I like about Everyday Coconut Daily Face Lotion: the SPF, of course, in the form of zinc oxide. It's not greasy. The short ingredient list, most of which I can pronounce. The light scent, which actually ISN'T heavy on the coconut. A touch of lavender oil balances out the sweet coconut, with the result a clean, fresh scent. Nicely done.
After checking out the EC website, I was also impressed with the transparency of their marketing. Here's what our stuff is made from. Here's why we exist (to empower impoverished African communities using local, sustainable resources). Here's why Coconut Oil rocks.
Sounds a lot different than the highbrow meaningless drivel I read over at Unilever. Corporate Giant could actually learn a thing or two from little grassroots company. Imagine that!
The lotion, given all its natural ingredients, has a tendency to separate. An easy shake takes care of that, but I mention it because I know there are some of you out there who would forget and think the lotion's rancid or something because it pumps out grainy and weird.
It's a decent price, under $10 for a nice 12-ounce pump. I end up using not just on my face but my shoulders and neckline, too. Considering what I paid for a 7 oz bottle of sunscreen, this is pretty good.
My biggest beef with this product is that it isn't all that...moisturizing. I mean, I really like a lighter product for summertime use (my face sweats easily) but this just a little too light. As in my dry skin still feels dry after it's all absorbed. I wish it was a little more emollient, but I suppose that's the tradeoff for not having a bunch of nasty chemicals...
SMACK! Grade: B
PS -- if you want to try any products from Everyday Coconut, buy directly here. Ten percent of their sales goes to projects that reduce poverty and empower women in West Africa. Bonus!
I came across this lotion a many moons ago during a splurge trip to Whole Foods. I say splurge because even though I did really need each item I bought (hair color, eye makeup removing wipes and this lotion), I didn't take the time to see if the local health food store had better prices or better items. It was more about the instant gratification, so whatever. The original post about that shopping trip is here.
See, Everyday Coconut doesn't have any products in the database. No matter, I filled out all the forms, copied and pasted the ingredients from Everyday Coconut's website and voila! My own report, which rated this product as a 2 (on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being super effing toxic, don't set foot near this product).
Here's what I like about Everyday Coconut Daily Face Lotion: the SPF, of course, in the form of zinc oxide. It's not greasy. The short ingredient list, most of which I can pronounce. The light scent, which actually ISN'T heavy on the coconut. A touch of lavender oil balances out the sweet coconut, with the result a clean, fresh scent. Nicely done.
After checking out the EC website, I was also impressed with the transparency of their marketing. Here's what our stuff is made from. Here's why we exist (to empower impoverished African communities using local, sustainable resources). Here's why Coconut Oil rocks.
Sounds a lot different than the highbrow meaningless drivel I read over at Unilever. Corporate Giant could actually learn a thing or two from little grassroots company. Imagine that!
The lotion, given all its natural ingredients, has a tendency to separate. An easy shake takes care of that, but I mention it because I know there are some of you out there who would forget and think the lotion's rancid or something because it pumps out grainy and weird.
It's a decent price, under $10 for a nice 12-ounce pump. I end up using not just on my face but my shoulders and neckline, too. Considering what I paid for a 7 oz bottle of sunscreen, this is pretty good.
My biggest beef with this product is that it isn't all that...moisturizing. I mean, I really like a lighter product for summertime use (my face sweats easily) but this just a little too light. As in my dry skin still feels dry after it's all absorbed. I wish it was a little more emollient, but I suppose that's the tradeoff for not having a bunch of nasty chemicals...
SMACK! Grade: B
PS -- if you want to try any products from Everyday Coconut, buy directly here. Ten percent of their sales goes to projects that reduce poverty and empower women in West Africa. Bonus!
Monday, August 5, 2013
It's Monday, again
Milestone weekend for SMACK! all thanks to our growing readership. You're the best, really.
It's August. The dog days of summer. Plenty of sunburns to be had. Wait, what? Who gets sunburns anymore? That's so 1995!!!
Seriously. I just saw a mind-boggling figure in a news release from last week. The NPD Group, a market research firm (that prefers the term 'global information company') has pegged sales of beauty products containing SPF at just over $1 billion (USD) for the 12-month period ending in May 2013. That's billion, with a 'B'. Oh yeah, and that's just in what they call 'prestige department stores.' So NOT counting drugstore brands (which, really, I feel like my personal purchases at Target alone were nearly as high). According to NPD, it's a 24 percent hike over what consumers spent on the same category of products just three years ago.
Yay us? Yes and no. If consumers are getting smarter about SPF and striving to protect their skin, great. But if you've perused EWG's Sunscreen Guide at all (which you'd better if you want to be a SMACK! reader) you'll remember that nearly 80 percent of the chemical sunscreens on the US market contain troublesome ingredients that can disrupt some serious sh*t once they've leached through the skin. Check it here.
So which is it, Jazzy? Good news or bad news that consumer spending on SPF products is up? The talking head from NPD Group cut to the heart of the matter:
And there we have it. It's good news for cosmetics companies that consumers are handily opening their wallets (more widely than ever, by the sounds of it) for beauty products containing SPF.
It's not really great news for the consumers themselves, however, when you consider that the marketing is very, very targeted and deliberate. Protect your skin. Anti-aging is the new mark of success for middle- to older-aged women. You deserve the best. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.
Again, we know from EWG that higher SPF doesn't always mean a better product. And common anti-aging ingredients, like Retin-A, can put you at higher risk for sunburn or sun damage!
There's a lot of summer left. Let's be smarter about our choices (like, I don't know, stay in the shade, or wear a hat) and think through what we buy. Agreed? Good.
-- Jazzy
It's August. The dog days of summer. Plenty of sunburns to be had. Wait, what? Who gets sunburns anymore? That's so 1995!!!
Seriously. I just saw a mind-boggling figure in a news release from last week. The NPD Group, a market research firm (that prefers the term 'global information company') has pegged sales of beauty products containing SPF at just over $1 billion (USD) for the 12-month period ending in May 2013. That's billion, with a 'B'. Oh yeah, and that's just in what they call 'prestige department stores.' So NOT counting drugstore brands (which, really, I feel like my personal purchases at Target alone were nearly as high). According to NPD, it's a 24 percent hike over what consumers spent on the same category of products just three years ago.
Yay us? Yes and no. If consumers are getting smarter about SPF and striving to protect their skin, great. But if you've perused EWG's Sunscreen Guide at all (which you'd better if you want to be a SMACK! reader) you'll remember that nearly 80 percent of the chemical sunscreens on the US market contain troublesome ingredients that can disrupt some serious sh*t once they've leached through the skin. Check it here.
So which is it, Jazzy? Good news or bad news that consumer spending on SPF products is up? The talking head from NPD Group cut to the heart of the matter:
"...not only are consumers buying more products with SPF they are spending a little more on them to get that higher SPF number for better protection..."
"Sun protection is a great example of the power behind a product that not only addresses a need, but also has found ways to expand it reach and tap into the emotional component."
And there we have it. It's good news for cosmetics companies that consumers are handily opening their wallets (more widely than ever, by the sounds of it) for beauty products containing SPF.
It's not really great news for the consumers themselves, however, when you consider that the marketing is very, very targeted and deliberate. Protect your skin. Anti-aging is the new mark of success for middle- to older-aged women. You deserve the best. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.
Again, we know from EWG that higher SPF doesn't always mean a better product. And common anti-aging ingredients, like Retin-A, can put you at higher risk for sunburn or sun damage!
There's a lot of summer left. Let's be smarter about our choices (like, I don't know, stay in the shade, or wear a hat) and think through what we buy. Agreed? Good.
-- Jazzy
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Back in the Saddle
Two funerals and a holiday weekend...I feel like I ought to have a phone surgically attached to my head, for all the time I've spent on the phone. Hence the lack of posts last week.
How was your Memorial Day? Such a great way to usher in summer, unless it's freezing and sleeting like it was where we spent the weekend. I saw snow, real snow!
Does anyone still follow that 'rule' about not wearing white pants before Memorial Day? I definitely broke it this year when I picked up a pair of Lucky cropped white jeans last month. I Love Them!! and have already worn them a ton. They had to stay home for the weekend, though, so that I had space to pack my boots and winter jacket (no joke).
I definitely didn't need any sunscreen over the holiday, but plenty of you did. Have you checked out EWG's 2013 Sunscreen Guide? It came out just in time for the holiday. This year's big recommendations: avoid spray sunscreens as well as products containing oxybenzone.
Nearly 200 sunscreens meet EWG's stringent criteria for safe and effective products. I invested in Coppertone Sensitive Skin sunscreen and a Bullfrog sunscreen. I say investment because at nearly $10 a bottle, these sunscreens ain't cheap. But, the $40-50 I will spend over the course of the season seems like a reasonable price to pay for keeping my skin safe.
My next investment: moisturizer with SPF. I'll let you know what I choose, and of course will do a review!
Happy Thursday,
Jazzy
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Sizzle, sizzle
Spring is probably my favorite season, this year probably more so than in the past. Considering I am not even 3 months out from my mastectomy, the irony of the whole ‘rebirth’ metaphor is not lost on me.
We have had really fantastic weather, which is lucky, because I am on a sports field 4-5 days a week, and twice on Sundays (literally). I can’t do as much yardwork as I normally do -- not complaining -- but I am itching to be outdoors as much as possible. Actually itching around the clock, thanks to the high pollen counts.
While I am LOVING all the outside time, the sun this year feels really, really strong to me. Cue anxiety re: sun exposure, skin damage, etc. Then cue anxiety re: sunscreen chemicals. Weeeeeeee as we go down the slippery slope!
See how a little information is dangerous? I decided to read up on sunscreens so that I could choose now a good brand as my go-to sunscreen. Before summer is in full swing and all that’s left on the shelves are the bottles of tanning oil. Really? People still want to fry themselves?
Again, I went to EWG (you will get sick of me pointing you there, seriously) to check out their annual sunscreen guide. The 2013 guide isn’t out yet, which made me feel like I’m ahead the curve, so I perused the 2012 guide and then checked out some of the low-rated brands. Some salient points:
- The best way to protect your skin from the sun is to cover it -- wide-brim hats and long sleeves
- The ingredient oxybenzone should NOT be used on children. Experts have been cautioning against this since the 1990s!
Check it out for yourself to see how your sunscreens rank. And be sure to read up on active ingredients, like oxybenzone. The current recommendation is that mineral-based sunscreens -- such as those containing zinc oxide -- are safer and more effective.
Imagine my delight to find a few Coppertone products among the lowest-ranked sunscreens. I grew up on Coppertone, and it’s still a mainstay on supermarket and drugstore shelves. Hooray! I went with the Sensitive Skin Gentle Formula w/ Zinc Oxide. The Pure & Simple line is also rated very well.
I had a good laugh looking up Zinka, that flourescent-colored noseblock for surfers. Since everything 80s is trendy again, don’t be surprised if you see it this year on a beach near you.
Happy sunning!
Jazzy
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