You may have heard that on May 1, Hawaii became the first state to pass a bill banning the sale of sunscreen containing chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are believed to harm coral reefs.  If we are worried about these chemicals harming the coral reefs, it makes sense that we should also be concerned about these chemicals being applied directly to our skin.

We recently had a chance to try out Goddess Garden Natural Mineral sunscreens.  This line contains organic natural ingredients such as zinc and titanium.  These natural ingredients simply reflect the sun’s rays instead of being absorbed so they won’t cause skin irritation or enter your bloodstream. Their products do not contain harmful chemicals, so they are reef-safe and safe for your body!

(My daughter had a basketball tournament this weekend, so we shared sunscreen samples with all of the girls.)

If you have kids, you know that they want to go outside or jump in the water as soon as you apply the sunscreen.  However, chemical-based sunscreens need to be absorbed by the body for about 20 minutes before they are effective.  Goddess Garden sunscreens are effective immediately!

I have tried other natural mineral sunscreens before and noticed they can leave a visible white coating on my skin.  I found these application tips from Goddess Garden to be helpful:

• Start with moisturized skin. Goddess Garden’s sunscreen lotions contain nourishing ingredients your skin loves. If your skin is very dry, it can absorb the lotion faster than you can spread the minerals, resulting in a whitening effect.

• Cover small areas of your skin at a time. Because the lotion spreads the minerals, apply mineral sunscreen to small areas at a time so the lotion isn’t absorbed before you get it rubbed on. Applying too much in one place can result in the minerals layering up on your skin’s surface. An even application of mineral sunscreen will provide sheer, yet thorough protection.

• If it’s white, you’re not finished. Minerals aren’t absorbed into your skin or bloodstream, so if the minerals are not spread evenly and dry white on your skin’s surface, they’ll stay white.

• Try the Facial Sunscreen. If you have a darker skin tone, or if you’re still having trouble, you may want to try Goddess Garden’s Facial Sunscreen. It’s made with a unique polished zinc that creates fewer reflection points that contribute to the whitening effect. Minimizing reflections results in a sheerer look, while offering the same protection. While it’s a facial sunscreen, your arms and legs will love the extra benefits.

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I received free products in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own.

In addition to trying to eat food with better-for-you ingredients, our family has been trying out personal hygiene products with “cleaner” ingredients.  You have probably heard about the research that shows that our bodies absorb the chemicals that are in typical soaps, facial cleansers, and body washes and that many of them have been shown to be endocrine disrupters or even carcinogenic.

Recently we had the opportunity to try out some products from Dr. Jacobs Naturals.  The products we tried were:

• Almond Honey Castile Liquid Soap
• Lucious Lavender Loofah Exfoliating Castile Soap
• Eucalyptus Castile Liquid Soap

My absolute favorite was the Almond Honey Castile Liquid Soap. The fragrance is so nice when used in the shower, or as hand soap.

TIP: An easy, environmentally-friendly and economical way to make your own foaming hand soap is to buy a foaming soap dispenser pump and fill it 4/5 of the way with water.  Add a couple of Tablespoons of Dr. Jacobs Castile Liquid Soap, shake it and voila!

Dr. Jacobs Naturals is 100% natural.  Dr. Jacobs Naturals castile liquid soap does NOT have any artificial ingredients, synthetic fragrances, colors, parabens, phthalate, propylene glycol, lauryl/laureth sulfates, and triclosan.

I also like that Castile soap is very versatile, as well.  It can be used as a household cleaner, laundry detergent, dish soap, and to wash pets!

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If you are looking for a game that is fun for the whole family, I found one.  It’s called Drop It, by Thames & Kosmos.

The concept is simple–take turns dropping in shapes, but make sure like colors and shapes are not touching.  Oh, and make sure it is a color or shape that is allowed in the corresponding zone.  Earn points based on where the shape lands.

There are variations in play that make it challenging and keep it interesting.  I can see how it develops spatial and strategic thinking.

A group of us parents tried it out while waiting for our food at k’s post-basketball game dinner.

Without me even noticing, the brothers grabbed the game they finished eating and started playing by themselves.

It was nice to see them playing the game together instead of being on their electronics.

Recommended for ages 8 and up, 2-4 players or 2 teams.

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