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Featured WAHM – Sun Angels Sun Protection Sleeves

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Today’s featured WAHM, Stacy DeVreese, is the co-founder/owner of Sun Angels sun protection sleeves.  I worked with Sun Angels last summer, and absolutely love their no-mess sun protection gear; you can read my review HERE.

sunangels

Sun Angels was formed because sun protection is a big concern of mine. As a kid myself I spent too much time in the sun. I wanted to make sure my kids would understand that sun protection is important to their overall health and wellness. So from day one my kids have worn hats and sunscreen. But I found sunscreen to be so hard to get on a wiggly, squirmy toddler. I started brainstorming with my sister-in-law who was facing the same challenge with her two young boys.   Sun Angels was started with the goal of making sun protection easier. [Read more…]

SSS: Babytime! Sunscreen by Episencial

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*I was sent a free product in exchange for my review.  All opinions expressed are my own.
 It’s been a few weeks, but I have another Sun Safety Saturday post for you!  Sun Safety tip: always apply sunscreen properly.  I know that this is a no-brainer, but sometimes we’re in a hurry, or are harried, and don’t read directions or take shortcuts.  Make sure to hit those easy to forget areas, such as the ears, lips, feet and back of neck, and always reapply according to the product’s instructions.  Be sure to apply your sunscreen at least 15 minutes prior to going out into the sun, allowing plenty of time for the skin to absorb and be protected!

When Green Team Enterprises gave me the opportunity to sample a sunscreen by Episencial, I jumped at the chance!  I’d been hearing great things about Episencial here and there, and was excited to have the opportunity to try one of their products.

So, the basics.  Babytime! is a “one size fits all” sunscreen, offering a broad spectrum SPF of 35+ and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes.  What does this mean?  It means that you only have to pack one tube of sunscreen for the entire family on those beach/pool days!  Safe enough for baby’s sensitive skin, strong enough to protect skin of all ages, light enough to wear for play, and water resistant for almost an hour-and-a-half.  Win-win!

There are a lot great features about Episencial’s Babytime! Sunscreen, but one of my favorites is that it is unscented.  I am sensitive to smells, even when not pregnant, and all too often products contain overly chemical/artificial and cloying smells…enough to upset my stomach.  I especially dislike scented lotions (for face or body).

Smooth and creamy, Babytime! applies easily, and moisturizes skin with ingredients such as green tea and aloe.  I love that this sunscreen moisturizes while it protects skin, as Declan is not the biggest fan of having lotion applied, and this serves a dual purpose.

Babytime! has become a diaper bag essential, because you never know when you’ll need it!

Green Team Enterprises

*This post contains affiliate links.

Cover Up with i play Sunwear

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*I was provided products at no cost in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

















I’ve talked about the importance of covering children’s skin when they must be in the sun, but what about clothing for in the water?  Thankfully, companies like i play make a wide-range of swimwear and clothing options to protect sun-sensitive kiddos’ skin, without hindering their water play!

Part of i play’s philosophy is to create healthy products that “encourage healthy development through play”. I was delighted to have the opportunity to test two of i play’s swimwear products: the M&M Short Sleeve Rash Guard and the Classics Flap Sun Protection Hat.

One of the things I love about i play’s UPF 50+ Rash Guard shirt is that it covers a large amount of D’s body…which means I don’t have to apply sunscreen there!  The rash guard is made of a stretchy, lightweight coated material, that moves easily during play and dries quickly after wear.  At first I thought that having a shirt in the water would hinder Declan’s movement and get in the way of him playing.  After trying it out, although the shirt does stretch a little when wet, it stays pretty close to D’s skin and doesn’t get in the way of play.

I’m going to go ahead and admit that I thought that the hats with flaps always looked silly…until I had a baby with translucent skin.  i play’s Classics Flap Sun Protection Hat is rated for newborn (0-6 months), but I wanted this hat for Declan because it’s ties and the coverage it offers.  Thankfully, the hat fits D’s head at a year old (which makes me wonder how big it would actually be on a newborn), and the flaps offer excellent sun protection (UPF 50+) for his neck and ears, again, without hindering play.  The material is extremely lightweight and breathable (it has a mesh lining to promote air flow), so much so that I was shocked that D was able to forget that it was on his head.  The ties are excellent because my guy hates wearing hats and always pulls them off.  The long brim in the front provides an amazing amount of shading without getting in the way.  As you can see in the photos, my blue-eyed little man is actually not squinting in the sun (a rarity in our sunny day photos)!

To view a wider selection of gear, visit i play’s website at www.iplaybabywear.com.  You can also connect with i play via Facebook and Twitter.

i play has been kind enough to offer ONE lucky winner their choice of either the Flap Sun Hat OR Rash Guard shirt!  Enter through the form below:

TruBaby Everyday Play All-Natural Sunscreen

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** I was provided this product, free of charge, for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Some of the best ways to protect your kiddos from dangerous sun exposure are to stay in shaded areas, avoid exposure during peak hours (10-2), and to cover up.  But, we all know that these are not necessarily the easiest rules to follow (10-2 is perfect outdoors time for my little guy’s schedule), and I’m not always able to keep Declan in the shade.  This is why it’s always good to have natural sunscreen readily handy.

I had the opportunity to give TruBaby all-natural sunscreen a go, and we are loving it so far.  Made by TruKid, with an SPF of 30+, and a long list of natural ingredients, this is a sunscreen you can feel confident in putting on your baby.  Here are some of the amazing ingredients that make up this all-natural sunscreen:

  • purified water (first ingredient)
  • aloe leaf juice
  • sunflower oil
  • jojoba oil
  • cucumber fruit extract
  • green tea oil
  • pomegranate juice
  • grapefruit oil
  • sweet orange oil

The last two ingredients, grapefruit oil & sweet orange oil, are likely what give the sunscreen it’s light citrus scent.  The scent reminds me of the orange-flavored flouride treatments of my youth!  TruKid sunscreens are highly rated by the Environmental Working Group, and received a Totally Awesome Award from Red Tricycle in 2012 — a big ‘thumbs-up’ in my opinion!  So, how does TruBaby rate for a real user?

TruBaby Everyday Play sunscreen is a smooth cream, much like many diaper creams on the market.  Not too thick, and not too thin, TruBaby goes on in a thin, but protective, layer.

Declan wanted to help rub in the lotion, and with all-natural ingredients, I was more than willing to oblige (as long as he didn’t try to ingest it).

TruBaby goes on smoothly, leaves no white film, and is dry to the touch after applying.  This is one of my favorite features of this sunscreen, as I can’t stand having a sticky baby!

Once applied, you’ll want to reapply every 40 minutes after swimming, sweating or toweling off.  This may be one of the only downsides I see with this product, but it’s only due to my laziness.  The fact that this lotion goes on dry, makes applying it often not as much of a pain.

TruKid offers an array of all-natural skin and hair care products for children.  Have older children?  Try one of the many TruKid all-natural sunscreen products (I’m a fan of the Face and Body Stick for keeping with you on-the-go).

You can connect with TruKid on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for product updates, information, ideas and occasional giveaways.

TruKid is offering my readers a special coupon, valid for a FREE Sunny Days SPF 30+ Face and Body Stick on orders of $30 or more!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Sun Angels Sun Protection Sleeves

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* I was provided a product, at no charge, for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.
One of the best ways to protect kiddos from harmful UV rays and sun exposure is to keep their vulverable and sensitive skin covered.  During the summer months this is difficult, as short sleeves, tank tops, shorts and skirts abound.  Sun Angels UPF 50+ sun protection sleeves are a quick and easy fix to give your child additional sun protection in warmer months — no need to mess with sticky sunscreen!
I was sent a pair of funky sun sleeves to give a try with Declan (my translucent-skinned kiddo).  Made from 60%  polyester/35% cotton/5% spandex, Sun Angels sun sleeves are extremely soft and breathable.  This special blend provides your child with UPF 50+ protection.  Even though D is just 11 months old, he’s got chunky arms (getting long-sleeved pajama shirts on him is like squeezing sausage into a casing!), so we went with a size small (1-2 years) and they are a great fit:
We decided to take the Sun Angels sleeves on a test run while out for a walk the other day (normally, you would have pants on your child, but I had already put sunscreen on D’s legs).  I love the fun designs Sun Angels offers in sleeves for both boys and girls (this particular design is called I’m A Star).  Declan was an obliging model:

Declan’s a kid in constant motion, so getting him to stay still to easily slip the sleeves on was a challenge; with older children, I don’t think you’d have as much difficulty.  Once on, the sleeves stay firmly anchored in place with top elastic (the elastic gripped D’s arms lightly, not even leaving a mark), and D didn’t even seem to notice that he had additional clothing on.

Not happy having to wear a hat

I like that the sleeves are small and light — they easily fit into your diaper bag to keep for those ‘just in case’ moments (if you’re like me, your diaper bag is prepared for Armageddon).

Sun Angels is a family-owned business, created by two sister-in-laws (Stacy and Monica) who were frustrated by the lack of options in fashionable & effective sun protection gear for children.  Sun protection is truly a passion for Stacy and Monica, having founded Sunrays of Hope, a program that provides resources to preschools to implement, educate and promote sun safety programs with young children.

To purchase Sun Angels sun protection sleeves, you can visit their website at www.sun-angels.com.  Check out Sun Angels on Facebook, for more product information, sun safety tips and more.  You can also connect with Sun Angels on Twitter.

BALM! Baby SUN! All-Natural Sunscreen

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*I was product, free of charge, in order to write this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

In my quest for baby sunscreens, I had a head-start knowing that I wanted to use natural sunscreen on Declan.  I wanted to use natural sunscreen because a.) I don’t like using anything with ingredients I can’t pronounce (aka. chemicals) for Declan (food, toiletries, etc.), and b.) Declan has very sensitive skin, and I didn’t want a chemical-laden lotion to irritate his skin.

I asked for natural sunscreen suggestions in a green forum I belong to, and was pleasantly surprised by the number of recommendations.  One recommendation was a name I had been seeing in my cloth-diapering circles, and that all-natural sunscreen is BALM! Baby SUN! by Taylor House Skin (THinc.).

Based in Hawaii, BALM! Baby is handmade in small batches locally, using local natural and organic ingredients.  One of the things I love about this natural sunscreen is that the ingredient list is short and I know what everything is on it:

  • Olive oil infused in calendula
  • Chamomile & comfrey
  • non-nano zinc oxide (25%)
  • sesame seed oil
  • candelilla wax
  • Hawaiian coconut & macademia nut oil
  • shea butter,
  • vitamin eT-50
  • Sun safe essential oil blend

My first impression of BALM! Baby SUN! was the smell — I love the fragrance!  It’s not your typical coconutty/sunscreen smell, rather, a fresh, invigorating scent that is the calendula, I believe (if you’ve used California Baby’s Calendula Cream, it smells just like that).  The texture is creamy and goes on smoothly.  The one downside of this product, if there really is one, is that it is a little oily when you first apply it (naturally, as oils are the majority of ingredients) BUT, this makes this sunscreen waterproof and last up to 2 hours.  Also, D’s skin was moisturized after using this product, even after being in the water for a few hours.

On the left, you can see D w/ the BALM! Baby SUN! on, and his hair is a little greasy, but the oils worked themselves in after a couple of hours.  Best part?  He was protected by the sun by this amazing natural sunscreen…and I felt great about putting this on his skin!

I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous anytime I put a new sunscreen on Declan to try, and take him out into the sun — I just don’t want him to suffer a painful burn.  I’m no expert, but I love this product.  Simply put, it works.  It works, and you can feel confident about putting this on your little one’s sensitive skin.  The experts think so too!  This year, BALM! Baby was named to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Best Beach & Sport Sunscreens list!

Suffice to say, BALM! Baby has become a staple in our house.  And you know what else?  BALM! Baby can be used as a diaper rash cream (remember that 25%  zinc?), so it truly is a multipurpose product!  If you’re looking for a company with great customer service, BALM! Baby is one of them.  They are active on social media as well, and you can ‘Like’ them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Sun Safety Saturdays

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I decided to start Sun Safety Saturdays through my efforts to educate myself about sun protection.  I’m olive-complected, and have never really had to think much about sun protection (although I should).  When Declan was born last July, I was shocked to see a blond-haired, blue-eyed baby with near translucent skin.  How on earth could I have created a child so fair?  Right away, my pediatrician started talking to me about adequate sun protection for D.

My experience with the sun has mostly been a good one, tanning quickly and rarely burning.  In fact, I didn’t experience my first major burn until I was in my mid-20s and living in Florida.  The northerner I am, I decided that it was a brilliant idea to spend the entire 4th of July on the beach in St. Petersburg, with no shade, using SPF 4 suntan lotion.  Yes.  Brilliant.  Needless to say, I got the burn of a lifetime that day, and received 2nd degree burns on my face.  I thought that I would have scars for the rest of my life, my face peeling several times over the course of two months.  I learned about sunscreen really fast after that.

Throughout this series, I’ll be sharing sun protection tips & products.  Babies, with a minute amount of melanin in their skin, are more susceptible to harmful UV rays.  One burn early on is enough to cause melanoma later in life (scary, I know).  One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from sun is to cover up (it’s a no-brainer, I know).  Paired with a natural sunscreen (reviews to come), this is how I practiced sun safety with Declan this spring:

It’s never to early to teach your little one’s about sun safety, and I plan to do it by modeling good sun habits myself.  I hope you’ll check back for more sun safety tips and products!