Smart Sun Safety Tips by Beyond Coastal

Are you looking for a good eco-friendly sunscreen that is safe for your family and kids?

Since we live in Florida we spend a lot of time outdoors, especially during the summer months.  We spend the weekends splashing away in the pool or playing in the sand at the beach.  It’s important for me to know how to keep myself and my kids protected from the suns damaging rays.

Smart Sun Safety Tips

• Limit your sun exposure between the hours of 10am and 4pm (if possible) when the sun is the strongest and most damaging.
• Cover up!  Even in the heat of the summer the safest way to protect yourself from the sun is to cover up.  Wear light colored clothing (reflects the sun light), hats, and sunglasses when you have to be out in the sun.  Invest in a few rash guards for your children when they are swimming to keep their sun exposure to a minimum.
• Enjoy the shade.  We have an amazing pop up style beach tent that we bought when Lil’ B was a baby.  I would highly recommend something similar or even a simple beach umbrella if you are spending the day outdoors.  Even mommy can escape into the shade to cool down.
• Find a safe sunscreen and apply regularly.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) just updated their recommendations for safe sunscreens in their 2012 Sunscreen Guide.  Remember that you want a product that scores low (1-2 is best) by EWG.  Over the past few weeks we’ve been trying the Beyond Coastal line of sunscreens.

I am always looking for sunscreens that are safe for my kids.  I have tried to limit our use of spray or spritz on sunscreens because they are so expensive and you end up spraying most of the sunscreen into the air.  At the ridiculous prices I pay for sunscreen I don’t want to waste it by spraying the air.  I feel like you get a better cover (and better protection) with lotions.  I know they take longer to put on and you get your hands all messy but they really do work better.  The next obstacle is finding one that is free of all those nasty chemicals (parabens, oxybenzone, PABA, petroleum, Vitamin A, and artificial fragrances) that won’t pose a potential risk to my children’s health as they get older.  Have you ever looked at the ingredients in sunscreens?  S-C-A-R-Y!

Beyond Coastal line of sun care products all score between 1-3 on the EWG scale (out of 10) making them one of the safest sunscreens you can find.  The line consists of their Active (non-mineral) sunscreen line and their Natural (mineral) sunscreen line.  All of their products range from 15-30 SPF and they even have a line specifically formulate for our kids.  

The Natural Kids SPF 30 (2 on EWG) is a mineral based sunscreen that contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect against UVA/UVB rays.  It takes a little more effort to rub it in since it’s the white, mineral based sunscreen but it rubbed in better than some of the brands I used last summer.  I also loved the Active Face Stick for their noses and little faces.  I like the stick for faces because it applies easier and my kids don’t scream if I get close to their eyes (it doesn’t burn).  Overall we were very happy with the entire line and I’ve even found myself applying the lip balm before I head out each day.

Would you like to try the Beyond Coastal brand?  When you sign up for their newsletter they will email you a 25% off coupon (which I’ll be using myself to stock up on more for the summer) for your next purchase.  You can also win a Beyond Coastal prize package here!

To win the prize package you see above you’ll need to leave a comment below answering the following question.

What is your family’s favorite fun in the sun activity?

I will close comments on Monday, May 28th at midnight ET and select a winner at random on Tuesday, May 29th.  The winner will be selected at random.  Open to U.S. residents over the age of 18.

Disclosure: Samples of the sunscreen line were provided by Beyond Coastal for the review and giveaway.  All opinions shared in this post are my own.