More Fun in the Sun!

I have mentioned several times on here that being out in the sun is rather expensive for us. I cheap out on a lot of things, but health related expenses is NEVER one of them! You only get one body, and replacement parts are difficult if not impossible to come by!! I have already shown you pictures of the swimsuits I have bought for Jessica and myself. These swimsuits are Stingrays, an Australian brand, and block over 97.5% of the sun's rays. I particularly like them because they give the trunk very good coverage. Although women are more likely to develop melanoma on their legs and men on their backs, mine have always been on my back, and I have found that it can be difficult to get sunblock in all of the crevices that exist on the trunk as opposed to the arms and legs.


Recently, I ordered new sunblock. Since Jessica was born, I have been ordering Lavera Neutral Sunscreen Spray. Every sunscreen I have tried makes my skin (my face especially) sting until I scrub it off! Actually, it feels like my face is burning! I do have pretty sensitive skin; however, I think Jessica's may be even more sensitive than mine. Because this is the only sunscreen I can wear on my face without it stinging, it is the only sunscreen I will use on the kids until they can tell me whether or not a particular sunscreen makes their skin sting. I have actually been using it on Jessica since before she was 6 months old. It was the only sunscreen my mom and I were able to track down that we felt would be gentle enough for her skin, and we have never had a problem! The other awesome thing about it is that it works instantly....no 30 minute waiting period!!

It is also a very "green" sunscreen for those of you interested in that. At this point I just want something that won't sting my skin and will protect me from UV rays! I tend to use my skin's sensitivity as a test to how safe or organic a product might be. This year, Lavera had to reformulate all of their sunscreens to match the new, stricter guidelines put out by the EU. The goal was to raise the amount of UVA rays blocked by sunscreen. Typically only the amount of UVB rays blocked are reported. I ended up buying the original version (from a store in Canada because no one else would ship to the USA) because Lavera has not had time to finish reformulating all of their sunscreen products, and I am quite partial to the Lavera Neutral Sunscreen Spray! Lavera has also done an excellent job of trying to block high levels of UVA, UVB, and UVC rays even before the new standards were released, so I feel completely comfortable using their products on myself and my children!