Your environments wreak havoc on your skin and body in three major ways.

#1: Exposure to the SUN.

UV, UVA and IR rays damage skin cells and lead to premature aging, discoloration, and even in extreme cases, cancer (melanoma).

You might be thinking “ I’m okay, I wear sunscreeen!” But, do you know if your sunscreen uses a chemical filter or a physical one? If you’re not sure, keep reading. 

The problem with traditional sunscreen is that it contains ingredients that are skin irritants, allergens, cause respiratory issues (aerosols), all while containing penetration enhancers that allow the body to absorb the chemicals in the sunscreen.

Most traditional sunscreens contain chemical filters and the most prevalent one is oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is a hormone disruptor, is shown to reduce testosterone levels in adolescent boys, and shows up in breast milk risking exposure to unborn babies. The last thing you want when you’re trying to protect yourself from the sun is a sunscreen that’s harmful to your body.

So, what’s the solution? 👇🏼
Mineral sunscreen, on the other hand, utilizes physical filters such as Zinc oxide creating a reflective barrier over your skin protecting you from the harmful rays of the sun. You’ll find this more commonly in cleaner, non-toxic sunscreen brands.

One brand we really like is @rawelementsusa. Their ingredients are clean and are also reef-safe. ❤️🌊

#2: Indoor Toxins

Your home is filled with indoor air pollutants. The common ones include pesticides, formaldehyde, smoke, mold, and gases. These come from things like your furniture, carpets, household cleaners, moisture in your home, building materials, paint, etc. 

Although indoor air quality is generally poor, there are practical ways you can improve it without driving yourself crazy.

1. If you can, swap out your carpets for anything else. Carpet harbors all kinds of pollutants from gases that are released for years to dust that lead to allergies and harbor dust mites. Switching from carpet can dramatically improve your indoor air quality almost instantly. 

2. Swap your household cleaners for our natural recipes. These two easy DIY recipes can save you tons of money, reduce your family’s toxic chemical exposure and work better than the chemical stuff. It’s a win-win.

3. Switch to clean beauty products (obvi). The average woman puts 515 synthetic chemicals on her body every day without knowing. 515!!! Fragrances, makeup, skincare, dry shampoo, hairspray, styling products, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, dryer sheets, dish soap, hand soap... the list goes on. It’s easy to see how it can add up. These products are "tested for safety" when used on their own and even those tests are based on regulations that are lax or non-existent. However, typically you aren’t just using one product. You’re using many. And combined, they are creating a toxic elixir that's absorbed by your body every day. Swap out toxic products for cleaner ones one-by-one. There are so many cleaner alternatives now.

4. Get a water filter. Water is another way our bodies are exposed to chemicals which lead to skin and health conditions such as eczema. Chlorine, for example can be filtered out with a shower filter sold by your local hardware store or a bath filter such as the Cuzn bath ball to make baths safer for yourself and your kids.

#3: Outdoor Pollution

Environmental pollution increases your body’s exposure to free radicals. Free radicals are atoms, ions or molecules that contain an “unpaired” electron.

Electrons like to be in pairs, so free radicals “steal” electrons from other molecules in a process called “oxidation” to try to regain their stability. In doing so, a reaction is created that ultimately damages your cells’ DNA, leading to aging and other degenerative diseases.

Pollution exposure reduces levels of vitamins E and C, and reduces the supply of oxygen to skin tissues. This causes skin to become dull, dehydrated, inflamed, rough, loose, aged and experience frequent clogged pores. 

The question remains, how do you combat free radicals?

The answer: ANTIOXIDANTS.

Antioxidants have electrons to spare. They willingly donate electrons to free radicals that are scavenging your body for them. This is good news. It means that instead of stealing from healthy molecules, they are stabilized from the generosity of the antioxidants.

This is why it’s important to give your body foods and skincare rich in antioxidants. Examples of foods:

blueberries
dark chocolate
spinach
goji berries
pecans
artichoke
elderberries
cilantro
cranberries
kidney beans
blackberries

In addition to foods, this Repairing Facial Serum is an antioxidant powerhouse containing pumpkin seed oil, rosehip oil and meadowfoam seed oil - all rich in antioxidants that help fight free radicals and keep your skin looking healthy and youthful. 🙌🏼