Jeneration Eden

Category: Skin Care

  • The Safest Summer Skin

    The Safest Summer Skin

     

     

     

    This blog first ran on the Premier Pediatrics website.

     

    In about two weeks, I’ll be sending three of my four kids to sleepaway camp. Which means that, in about two weeks, my youngest, a feisty seven-year-old, will finally get what he’s always wanted…to be the eldest kid at home (alas, the only kid at home, but he’ll take what he can get).

    Sibling idiosyncrasies aside, the summer of 2014 will see the little guy whooping it up with his local pals and hanging tight with Mom and Dad, while the others will be having a blast in their own bunks in the mountains, away from parental eyes.

    But one of the things that my kids will have in common these next eight weeks is the way that they’ll protect themselves from the summer sun and pesky skeeters. Because I know about the many worrisome chemicals that fill bottles of conventional sunscreens and bug sprays, all my kids will be using safer alternatives that will guard their bodies, inside and out.  So, whether they’re splashing around in a city park or swimming in a glistening lake, they’ll have the most effective and least toxic sunscreens and bug repellents on hand.

    Check out these tips for the safest ways to protect your own family from the harmful rays of the sun:

    • AVOID oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which are known hormone disruptors as well as allergens
    • AVOID vitamin A as well as retinyl palmitate and retinol (forms of vit A), all of which can hasten the development of cancerous tumors when exposed to UV rays
    • AVOID aerosol sunscreens, which can be inhaled into the lungs
    • CHOOSE sunscreens that offer broad spectrum protection. This means defense against UVA and UVB rays, both of which are implicated in causing sun damage, including deadly melanomas
    • CHOOSE mineral-based sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredients
    • CHOOSE sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 to 50, apply one ounce to all exposed parts 30 minutes prior to sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming/excessive sweating

    JEN’S PICKS: Badger (my all time fave), The Honest Co., Aubrey Organics, Babo Botanicals, Kiss My Face (Mineral Formula)

    And what about those bugs?

    This issue is a bit trickier, as most ingredients (whether a synthetic chemical like DEET or a naturally occurring ingredient such as oil of lemon-eucalyptus), are not always 100% effective and have meaningful pros and cons.

    It is important to remember that babies under 6 months of age should not be exposed to bug repellants at all and that children under 3 should not use oil of lemon eucalyptus or its derivative, PMD.

    If your children will be in areas not known for bug-borne diseases (and they don’t mind a couple of bug bites), then no aggressive ingredient is required and options like Badger Anti-Bug Shake and Spray or Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent should do just fine (always do a skin test before using fully, as even these botanical repellents can cause allergic reactions).

    But while it’s best to avoid areas known for Lyme disease-transmitting ticks and to steer clear of standing water where West Nile-transmitting mosquitos might be nesting, that’s not always possible. If children are venturing into territory that might harbor such problems, it is vital that they wear hats, long sleeves and pants tucked into socks. And it’s also important that they are protected by the proper repellent for the circumstances.

    The Environmental Working Group does a great job of laying out the scenarios and offering the most appropriate options, including details on the currently recommended ingredients and the safest ways to handle them. Take a look at EWG’s Guide to Bug Repellents for Kids and you’ll be ready to send your kids around the block or across the country for some happy and safe summer fun.

     

     

     

     

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    I need to hydrate my skin every night after I wash my face, but I don’t want to do it with chemicals that are harsh and even dangerous. That’s why I love Juice Beauty’s 

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    When you tell your kids to wash their hands, you’re helping to ensure that chemicals and contaminants on their hands go down the drain. But if they’re washing with a chem-filled soap,

  • The Gift of Healthy Skin

    The Gift of Healthy Skin

     

     

     

    There’s something kind of awesome about finding a skin care line whose products feel luxurious, keep their promises and are free of the chemicals and toxicants that fill the tubes, bottles and jars of most conventional lines. And if those products don’t break the bank? Well, I’m pretty sure that’s worthy of a celebration. Or at least a blog…

    Juice Beauty – the brand to which I now trust my face – is a beauty product line that was founded by Karen Behnke, a California mom  and “serial wellness entrepreneur” who, during her first pregnancy, realized that effective and safe skincare was of utmost importance and that the lack of regulation of the personal care products industry had led to some pretty unsavory and unhealthy offerings. Knowing that our skin absorbs around 60% of the stuff we put on it (in other words, around 60% of those unsavory and unhealthy products), her mission became clear.

    Karen’s goal was to create innovative personal care products that, unlike the more familiar ones, were not based on water (which is safe, but dilutes other ingredients) or petroleum (which is not safe due to potential hazardous contaminants), but rather healthy, organic juices. And, along with professional scientists and experts, Karen was successful, developing truly effective juice-based products.

    Many collections later, Juice Beauty has over 100 options, including cleansers, moisturizers for all skin types, blemish clearing products and body lotions, as well as the much touted Stem Cellular Collection and Green Apple Peels, all made with a host of safe ingredients (with a total USDA certified organic content of 98%). In fact, the list of ingredients that Juice Beauty will never use – including phthalates, pesticides, parabens and many other endocrine disruptors, carcinogens and skin irritants – reads like a Who’s Who of what not to slather on the skin.

    Juice Beauty facial products are now elbowing out many other products on my bathroom vanity. The clean, sleek packaging is chic and the products, as I mentioned, offer good bang for the buck. One of my faves is the SPF 30 Tinted Mineral Moisturizer. This zinc oxide based moisturizer softens my skin well and provides very important protection against the sun’s skin-damaging rays. It goes on rather smoothly and, because it’s tinted, doesn’t cast that telltale white zinc hue.

    I’m also really enjoying my Juice Beauty nighttime regimen. I’ve been using the Daily Essentials Nutrient Moisturizer, which is very hydrating and full of vitamins and antioxidants. It’s so rich, that just a bit on the fingers goes a long way on the face. And my eyes are getting some Juice action as well. The Smoothing Eye Concentrate is good for all skin types and tends to the dark-circled and fine-lined area under the eyes (heck, age and parenting will do that to a girl) with grape and carrot juices, as well as other nutrient rich ingredients such as avocado.

    As holiday time is upon us, I’m thinking that some Juice Beauty products, stylishly wrapped, would be the perfect gift for my friends, my sister, my mom. I love the idea of being the benefactor of healthy beauty in the form of gift-wrapped boxes bursting with items that are luxe, practical and totally current in terms of the trend toward non-toxic personal care products. And they won’t be presents that are just powerful in the moment; they will be gifts that continuously take safe and excellent care of the skin of the people I love — inside and out.

     

     

     

  • Sun-shy (and Proud of it)

    Sun-shy (and Proud of it)

     

     

     

    Those who know me think that I’m just a degree shy of bonkers when it comes to protecting my kids from the sun. But because studies have shown that 1 in 5 Americans will develop some type of skin cancer in the course of a lifetime, I believe that I’m more sane than most.

    Even though fall is upon us and winter will soon be rearing it’s head, the sun still shines – and if you don’t live in subzero temps and aren’t walking around with your entire head covered, at the very least your face will certainly be exposed to the sun on a regular basis.

    The best way to avoid sun damage – whether in the form of sun spots, aging skin, sun burn and, of course, skin cancer – is to truly limit sun exposure. Yes, the sun provides us with Vitamin D which helps us absorb calcium, but those who are deficient can eat foods and take supplements in order to get those benefits, and excessive, unprotected sun exposure confers much more harm than good.

    In the warmer months, if you try to get your kids to avoid the sun’s dangers by keeping them inside from 10am to 2pm (when the sun’s at its strongest), dressing them in long-sleeve shirts and pants, and forcing them to wear sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats, you’ll have a mutiny on your hands. And in these colder months, kids enjoy plenty of winter sports activities and the sun’s reflection off of the snow right unto a young face can be a recipe for a painful sunburn. And, of course, if a beach vacation is on your holiday schedule, be aware that the sun reflects right off the ocean too.

    Unfortunately, it ain’t as obvious as grabbing any old sunscreen off the shelf at your local store. It turns out that the sun’s rays aren’t the only thing that’s messing with your children’s bodies as they build sandcastles or go snow tubing. It’s also the chemicals inside many bottles of sunscreen that should cause parents to lose sleep.

    So in keeping with reality and safety, I offer some basic  – but very important – info for safeguarding your kids from the sun. Committing these guidelines to memory is really a walk in the park. And the tips are sure to protect your family when you’re taking, well, a walk in the park…

    • AVOID oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which are known hormone disruptors as well as allergens
    • AVOID vitamin A as well as retinyl palmitate and retinol (forms of vit A), all of which can hasten the development of cancerous tumors when exposed to UV rays
    • AVOID aerosal sunscreens, which can be inhaled into the lungs
    • CHOOSE sunscreens that offer broad spectrum protection. This means defense against UVA and UVB rays, both of which are implicated in causing sun damage, including deadly melanomas
    • CHOOSE mineral-based sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredients
    • CHOOSE sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 to 50, apply one ounce to all exposed parts 30 minutes prior to sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming/excessive sweating

    Some great brands of effective and safe sunscreens are Badger, The Honest Company, Aubrey Organics and Vanicream.  These products might cost a bit more than the conventional sunscreen, but considering you rub the stuff into your kids’ skin regularly (well, you should be), it pays to make sure the product getting absorbed into their bodies is safe.

    Keeping your children from getting burned by the sun is of the highest priority. So when the outdoors comes calling and your kids grab a bathing suit or a pair of ice skates, keep them safe from the sun and from chemicals. It’s the rational thing to do.