This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood. All opinions are Green Diva Lynn’s.

I love to run outdoors in every season.

But the sun can be damaging to my aging skin—even on cloudy days and when it’s 10 degrees below zero where snow can actually double UV exposure (and, yes, I’ve run in extreme temps… no, I don’t exactly love getting out there in that kind of weather).

The products we put on our skin can also be damaging—so many sunscreens out there contain toxic ingredients that may be just as harmful as the sun itself! That’s why I was excited to receive some Goddess Garden Organics sunscreen products to try out. 

While I knew that toxic chemicals are absorbed by the skin, I didn’t know that it potentially absorbs the UV rays I’m trying to deflect! didn’t realize before was that chemical sunscreens. Apparently, they work by absorbing UV rays and dissapating the energy as lower, less harmful energy rays. Some of the ingredients in chemical sunscreens actually degrade when their exposed to UV rays so that means I have to apply more of these toxins to make them kinda work! Oy!

When I’m running, I sweat (or, as I like to think, perspire) and if it’s a hot day, some of that could be getting into my eyes. Not good.

What’s great about Goddess Garden is that it’s a mineral sunscreen. That means it doesn’t absorb into the skin. It actually acts as a mirror by reflecting UV rays and doesn’t degrade when exposed to UV rays. As a bonus, you don’t have to wait 20 minutes for the ingredients to be effective (like you do with chemical sunscreens). It’s effective right away!

The lowdown on chemical sunscreens.

• Endocrine disrupting chemical sunscreens including Oxybenzone have been increasingly linked to early puberty in girls, low sperm count and male infertility, and an increase in hormone-related cancers in both men and women. [1]
• Oxybenzone has been shown to mimic and alter reproductive hormones and is linked to endometriosis. [2]
• Oxybenzone has been shown to bleach reefs [3]
• Oxybenzone is even more strongly estrogenic than BPA. [4]
• Oxtinoxate is found in many brands that claim to be natural… yet it’s a hormone disruptor and has been shown to bleach coral reefs! [5]
• Retinyl (Vitamin A) may promote carcinogenic activity on the skin when exposed to the sun. [6]
• Fragrance, a compound of hundreds of chemicals (many of which are parabens and phthalates) has been shown to be toxic to reproductive and organ systems. [7]
• Alcohol is found in many continuous sprays (not Goddess Garden) and is flammable. When sprayed from an aerosol can, the particles that remain in the air can actually set fire (in one cited freak accident, a person actually caught on fire!) [8]

Green Diva Meets Goddess While Running…

I used the Goddess Garden Sunny Face where it was meant to be applied—on my face. The first thing I noticed was that it didn’t make me look like I was wearing the base for clown make-up. I hate the way most sunscreens go on white and never rub in. Not the case here. It was slightly sticky to the touch, but overall felt great.

After running, I still looked pretty good although it became slightly flaky under my eyes. I  used the spray on Sport Spray one day and the Sunny Body and they both went on without the white-out effect and held up during my run. What I really loved was that I didn’t smell like sunscreen! I can wear this stuff to an outdoor event and not offend people with a heavy banana/coconut smell.

The added bonus is that they have a line of products for kids, too. I certainly don’t want my guy to be slathering chemicals onto his bod. And he’s a big fan of spray-on sunscreen.

More to love about Goddess Garden Suncreens…

Not only does it go on sheer, their products are certified organic and their entire line of sunscreens uses only zinc and titanium as active ingredients (no oxybenzone or octinoxate), which act as a barrier, reflecting the sun’s rays, instead of being absorbed into the skin.  Note: Environmental Working Group rates Goddess Garden Organic sprays as a 1-3 (10 being the most hazardous) for toxicity.

The minerals, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, act as a physical barrier, reflecting the sun’s rays, and aren’t absorbed into the skin so they’re safer. Despite some concerns over nano particles in other brands, according to Goddess Garden Organic, their ingredients are not nano since the particles are between 100-130 nanometers (nm), larger than 100 nm which are considered nano particles. (If you’re spraying near kids (or even on your own skin), just make sure to turn the face away so not to inhale the mist. Even though it’s not nano, who wants to inhale sunscreen?)

The facial suncreen contains Immortelle Oil, which is an anti-aging element. It’s an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that evens out complexion plus it helps restore skin damaged from skin exposure, promotes renewal and is soothing.

Other non-toxic ingredients include sunflower seed oil, lavender, shea butter and more—many of which are sourced locally in the U.S. or from fair trade farms.  Here’s the full ingredients list.

The founder, Nova Covington is a mom who was inspired to create organic skincare products when she learned her daughter Paige was allergic to chemicals in bath products. Goddess Garden is committed to maintaining a low carbon footprint—their packaging is recyclable, too!

Discount Offer:

Interested in trying Goddess Green products for yourself? Get $2 off any product on their website GoddessGarden.com. Just enter the discount code “GGOrganics” (valid from May 1, 2014 to July 30, 2014) upon checkout.

Giveaway

Enter the Goddess Garden giveaway for a chance to win a big load of fabulous sunscreen products for you and your family.

One GRAND Prize valued at $183

About 12 months of sunscreen which consists of the following:

• 4 continuous sprays,
• 1 facial sunscreen,
• 1 kids’ pump spray,
• 1 kids’ 3.4-ounce tube,
• 1 adult 6-ounce tube
• 1 kids’ 6-ounce tube.

• Twenty (20) second prize Natural Body 30 SPF 3.4 oz.

You must be 18 years old to enter and be from the US. There are multiple chances to win! Good luck.

Rafflecopter giveaway

Join the Goddess Garden twitter chat May 19th to learn more… plus more chances to win!

Join the Green Divas (@OrgGreenDivas), Goddess Garden (@goddessgarden) and many others May 19th at 9 p.m. – 10 p.m. EST for a twitter chat about the risks of sun damages and using toxic laden suncreens! Ten (10) Natural Body’s 3.4 ounce tubes will be given out during the party.

You can find Goddess Green on Facebook and Pinterest, too.

Sources:

1. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/your-sunscreen-might-be-poisoning-you
2. https://login.medscape.com/login/sso/getlogin?urlCache=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRzY2FwZS5jb20vdmlld2FydGljbGUvNzYzNzYx&ac=401
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2291018/
4. http://www.webmd.com/women/endometriosis/news/20120511/sunscreen-ingredient-linked-endometriosis
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2291018/ and http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1104052/
6. http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/the-problem-with-vitamin-a/
7. http://goddessgarden.com/what-are-phthalates-and-parabens/ and http://aad-365.ascendeventmedia.com/2014-annual-meeting-daily/sunscreening-agent-can-be-culprit-in-contact-dermatitis/
8. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/06/brett-sigworth-sunscreen-banana-boat-accident_n_1574397.html