How I Protect My Skin

I can not stress enough the importance of checking the bottle's listed active and inactive ingredients. If it contains any of those listed above, AVOID it! Choose a mineral-based reef safe sunscreen. When shopping for skin protection, look for a non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen with other ingredients listed than nourish the skin, like plant extracts. For years I have used Maui-made Raw Love Hawaii Sunscreen, which includes ingredients zinc oxide, “cold pressed unrefined coconut oil, raw shea butter, sesame oil, beeswax, jojoba oil, vitamin e oil, carrot seed oil, pure essential oils, and love” to protect my skin from sunburn. Raw Love is also plastic-free, and safe for use on tattoos and sensitive skin!

It can make a world of difference to wear a long-sleeve water shirt during a day-long water excursion rather than dealing with reapplication of sunscreen on 90% of your body surface. Instead, just cover up! Then the only places you need to use topical sunscreen are those still exposed to the sun.

Consider investing in:

• A long-sleeved rash guard with SPF protection
• A pair of polarized sunglasses, which protect your retina from UV radiation (Don't forget the Croakies!)
• A sturdy, comfortable, wide-brim hat (the wide brim will protect your nose and ears from the harsh rays of the sun, two body parts which are common sites of cancerous skin growth)

It's as simple as a google search. Use your weather app to find out what the UV index is for the day, and avoid spending time outdoors during peak hours of high solar radiation.