My Recommendations Part 3: Sunblock, Toothpaste, Hand Sanitizer

Sunblock

I’ve been doing a lot of birding lately, and most of the time while I’m outdoors I just wear my wide-brimmed hat.  But there are some times when I just need some sunblock.  On hot summer days, sometimes I don’t feel like wearing long sleeves, so I need something for my shoulders and arms.  My top recommendation for sunblock is Badger.  Hands down.  This summer I bought a tube of Badger SPF 34 Lightly Scented.  One tube easily got me through the entire summer of outdoor activities. There are other brands around, however, Badger is my top pick because I know they have a sophisticated lab that can support the creation of a reliable product that’s legally considered a “drug.”  With sunscreens and zinc oxide, it can actually be quite difficult to get the zinc oxide distributed evenly throughout your emulsion. Plus, I know that it has gone through all of the proper testings  SPF-wise, preservative-wise, etc.  It’s also pretty widely distributed and you can find it at most Whole Foods stores.  There’s another brand that’s top-rated with EWG, however it contains water and doesn’t have an apparent preservative.  There have also been reports of it not giving reliable coverage.  (Likely due to the uneven distribution of the zinc oxide.) EWG doesn’t take that in to account with their safety ratings.  So, that is why Badger is my one and only pick for this category. You can ask me “what about _______?” but my answer will be “Badger is better.”

Toothpaste
First and foremost, we are still developing our toothpaste.  There are a lot of different factors that have slowed this project up, which I won’t get in to here. (Too long!)  However, in the meantime, we found a great product that’s also local to us.  It’s made by the people who make Real Salt.  It’s called Earthpaste.  It’s not organic, but has really simple ingredients and actually tastes good too!  No SLS, no glycerin, no artificial flavors or colors.  

You can find it on our website here!

Hand Sanitizer
I recommend only using alcohol-based hand sanitizers.  Alcohol is the only ingredient that has a long track record of effectiveness, but also doesn’t cause bacterial resistance (aka, superbugs).  I use Whole Foods 365 or EO brand, both of which I pick up at Whole Foods.  If you need something for your young kids, and don’t want to give them alcohol-based sanitizers they could inadvertently drink, my recommendation is an alcohol-based sanitizing wipe, like these.

For more information about the chemicals in personal care products to avoid, visit our blog at http://bubbleandbee.blogspot.com and our Chemical of the Day Blog: http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com