It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, which means that the official kickoff to summer is literally right around the corner. You know what that means – it’s time for lotsa fun in the S-U-N!
There’s nothing more summery than snagging some good ol’ fashioned Vitamin D the natural way, but don’t forget to practice safe sun! When possible:
- Reduce exposure by wearing a hat
- Limit exposed skin (think T-shirts, cover-ups, etc.)
- Avoid being in the sun during peak hours (10 am – 2 pm)
Let’s be honest, though. Despite our best intentions, actually heeding these tips isn’t always doable/practical!
So, when you are going to be out in the sun, wearing sunscreen is an absolute must. No excuses! Like anything else, wearing a safe sunscreen is another must, especially for children. (If you haven’t yet, definitely check out my past post, which will teach you how to pick a safe sunscreen, with help from EWG!)
As a quick recap from said post, here are five biggies to avoid when choosing a safe sunscreen:
- Oxybenzone – Hormone disrupter and allergen. It’s not the only common UV-filter that poses a risk of disrupting hormone activity, but is by far the biggest concern.
- Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) – Can speed development of skin tumors and lesions, along with risk of Vitamin A overdose. See here for more. The FDA is aware of major concerns over it being in beauty products, but has not taken action.
- Parabens – Endocrine disruption, cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity risks. Watch for anything ending in “paraben,” like “methylparaben” or “propylparaben,” to name a few. Avoid in all beauty products, not just sunscreen!
- SPF 50 or higher – Often misleading, and can cause a false sense of security that leads to getting burned. Also can have a higher concentration of chemicals.
- Methylisothiazolinone (MI) – An allergenic preservative, typically only considered safe in “wash-off” scenarios (like hand soap) where the area of skin being exposed is small. (However, even “safe” scenarios can still trigger allergic reactions in some.) In a sunscreen, its use is completely the opposite, so that’s a big concern.
(Psssst! Don’t forget these other ingredients to avoid when choosing safer, cleaner sunscreen – or other beauty/personal care products, for that matter.)
That being said, I’m happy to showcase a product that Kiss My Face sent me to try out, which – of course – has absolutely none of the above mentioned dangerous ingredients! As a member of their “Kiss Tribe”, I got to take their new Dry Oil Air-Powered Spray Sunscreen for a test drive!
The Product Specs: SPF 15 • Provides broad spectrum protection against UVA & UVB rays • Water Resistant (80 minutes) • Vegan • Cruelty-Free (no animal testing)
Kiss My Face is all about skin and body-friendly ingredients, so they always pack their products full of moisturizers and nourishing antioxidants, while avoiding nasties like parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrance.
When you think about oil in a sunscreen, you picture a gooey, sticky mess, am I right? (I know, I do too!) But prepare to get proven way wrong, because Kiss My Face manages to cram not one, not two, but five different types of oil into this sunscreen, all while preserving a lightweight, non-greasy feel. Whaaaat!
I’ve never seen a sunscreen pack so many happy, skin-satisfying ingredients. Seriously! Oil-wise, it’s rocking coconut, sunflower, jojoba, argan, and baobab. It also boasts Vitamin E, mango seed butter, plus extracts of green tea leaf, papaya, and hibiscus. When’s the last time your sunscreen could do that?!
Most other spray sunscreens use chemical propellants that can be very dangerous, especially if inhaled, and can also cause skin irritation. In the past, I’ve always avoided spray sunscreens religiously for that reason, but have no fear, because Kiss My Face’s spray products are (drumroll, please) air-powered!
As usual, I put this product through its paces, because sounding good on paper means nothing if it can’t perform!
As I geared up for a busy day trip to St. Augustine, I packed my Dry Oil Sunscreen, and headed out for fun day of flea market browsing and enjoying all that downtown St. Aug has to offer. The sky was clear, the sun was hot, and it was a perfect chance to see what this sunscreen could do.
Here in northern Florida, our May has already been hot (80’s, some 90’s) and the sun is a force to be reckoned with. Shade-seeking helps, but there’s just no escaping it – you’re gonna get your share of sun (unless, of course, if you’re hiding out in A/C watching Netflix).
Following the instructions, I was actually quite surprised at the ease of application. It’s probably been 20 years since I’ve used a spray sunscreen, so I was expecting a bit of a learning curve. Actually, though, it went super easily, with an easy-to-push button, nice flow, and controllable coverage. Plus, no hand clean-up necessary!
The coconutty scent is very light and tropical, and the spray is soooo refreshingly cool on hot skin! (Side note: I would recommend applying outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, as there really is a lot of “power” in this air-powered applicator!)
Though we weren’t out in the sun uninterrupted, we got a pretty decent amount of sun time overall. We did quite a bit of walking around the Historic District, in and out of shops, and it all adds up!
During our day, we reapplied once for good measure, yet even so, I didn’t feel super gross and sticky like I sometimes do when I’m on my second application of cream sunscreens. Since it’s a clean-hands operation, it was nice to reapply on-the-go, without having to worry about how I’d wipe my hands clean afterward!
Toward 5 pm or so, the sun’s angle started to feel really brutal, but I never once felt like my skin was baking. Impressive!
All-in-all, Kiss My Face had us totally covered during our day! No sunburn to speak of (not even a little bit!) for either myself or my hubby, so we were very pleased! Had we attempted this day sans sunscreen, I guarantee I would’ve earned some wicked tank top sunburn lines!
My verdict? This is a great product to have in your sun care arsenal! As always, be mindful of how many hours and how constant your sun exposure will be, along with your particular skin type. This product is SPF 15, so if you’re going to be out in the sun literally all day, you may want to choose one of Kiss My Face’s higher SPF products.
And now for the really good part! If you’d like one for your very own, guess what – I’m giving one away to one lucky reader!
If you don’t win, you can look for this product wherever Kiss My Face products are sold, or check it out on Amazon!
→ Giveaway Rules + Entry ←
Giveaway open to U.S. residents only, 18 years and older!
One winner will be chosen at random, and will be notified via social media. Contest open 5/22/17 through 5/31/17 (11:59 pm EST).
It’s easy! Follow my Instagram account (@palmtreestateofmind) + follow Kiss My Face’s account (@kissmyfaceUSA). “Like” any of my KMF contest posts, and tag a friend in its comments section who would love this KMF product! (Hint: Tag more friends for more entries!)
Don’t have an Instagram? That’s okay! To be entered, just leave a message in the comment section (below) sharing why you hope to win! (You don’t need a WordPress account to leave a comment.)
******UPDATE – Giveaway contest is now closed!******
Good luck! Wishing you healthier, happier days!
Kiss My Face provided me with free product to honestly review and give away, but all content of this post reflects my own opinion. Rest assured, I’d never share any product on my site unless I believed it safe and effective! To learn more about KMF, check out their website.
a.healthier.happy 
i’d love this for those summer days lying out in a park
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