Reef Safe, Clean Sunscreen

June 30, 2020July 1, 2020Leave a comment

Shelby Briley relaxes at the beach with reef safe sunscreen on

Everyone knows that wearing sunscreen is an important step in protecting your skin from cancer… Or do they? According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “regular use of SPF 25 sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40 percent, and lower your melanoma risk by 50 percent,” not to mention, fighting signs of aging. Now you might be saying, “but Shelby there are harmful ingredients in sunscreen that cause just as much cancer as the sun! And I heard sunscreen is bad for the coral reefs.” Ok, I hear you. Let’s talk about it, and I think by the end you will be convinced that wearing clean, reef safe sunscreen is really the best option for you and your family.

The Science of Sunscreen

Harvard Women’s Health Watch asked Dr. Jennifer Lin, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Melanoma Risk and Prevention Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to help separate fact from fiction (click here for the full interview). She explained that there are two types of sunscreen: physical blockers, and chemical blockers. Chemical blockers have chemicals in them that absorb the sun’s UV rays, and at least in the U.S., these include harmful ingredients such as Oxybenzone (a known hormone disrupter), and Octinoxate. These same ingredients are also killing our coral reefs (more on this in a moment). Physical blockers on the other hand, reflect UV rays and contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. I recommend looking for sunscreen brands that use these physical blockers rather than chemical ones. These have little to no toxic effects on marine life, making them a reef-safe alternative. Dr. Lin further explained that there is no evidence of sunscreen actually causing skin cancer!

Why should I care about the reefs?

Up to 14,000 tons of sunscreen end up in coral reefs every year and scientists have found that it contributes to the damage of the individual ecosystems. Coral reefs are important for many reasons such as coastal protection, food resources, the economy, tourism, medicine, and more. Did you know that reef organisms are used in the treatment of diseases such as leukemia, HIV, cardiovascular diseases and ulcers, and can also be used as material for bone grafts?! I personally find that pretty amazing and worth protecting. The national ocean service has some great resources on what you can do to further protect coral reefs, including swapping out your sunscreen! Hawaii is the first state in the US to ban the sale of sunscreen containing Oxybenzone and Octinoxate, and Key West, FL has followed suit.

10 Reef-Safe, Clean Sunscreens

Ok, so now that you’re convinced that A) you should be wearing sunscreen, and B) you should be wearing safe-to-body-and-planet sunscreen, here are my top 10:

Plus 5 more, specifically for your face:

Enjoy the summer! (Safely) – Shelby

More resources:

Weekend Reading – 4.26.20

April 26, 2020Leave a comment

Well it’s day…43(??) of social distancing/self-quarantining and I feel like I’ve finally got a rhythm going. I have passed the cabin fever stage and moved into a state of my new normal. I’ve been doing a lot of projects around the house that I could never seem to find time for before the Coronavirus (I keep wanting to write BC for before Coronavirus, but I feel like that could get sacrilegious real quick… But I digress). Anywho.. I’ve got some great links for y’all including some of my favorite online sales I’ve seen during quarantine so click, read, and enjoy! Happy Sunday!!

I know it’s trendy these days, especially for people adhering to a Paleo diet etc., but my mom actually has to eat gluten-free, so this banana bread recipe was perfect for us while I hunkered down at home with my family for a month. I actually found it because I was looking for a low-carb option, and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

In every good apocalypse movie, what is the first thing that the smart survivors do? Get the heck out of town! Am I right? Well, turns out it’s been a pretty good strategy for the Coronavirus too, but now experts are predicting that rural areas will eventually be hit as hard as well. We haven’t seen this pan out yet, but nonetheless, living in Arkansas, this was a good read.

Everyone pretty much knows that exercise (among other great benefits) is a great mood booster and anxiety reliever, so this article wasn’t exactly breaking news, but it was, nonetheless, interesting, and in good support of a 4-day-a-week exercise regime.

On that note, here is a link to my quarantine workout playlist on YouTube! I’ve been loving it – and all from home.

If you missed the memo, the CDC is now recommending cloth face masks for everyone if you do have do go out. My friend Bekah is making some super cute ones over at Little Magnolia Goods that I just love. I never thought the day would come when I discussed cute options for face masks, but it’s here y’all.

Speaking of cute face masks, United By Blue has salvaged hemp blend face masks back in stock, along with LOADS of sustainable living items. I love this company for a lot of reasons, but the best one is that for every product purchased they remove a pound of trash from oceans and waterways. If that wasn’t enough reasons to check them out, you can get an extra 30% off of sale items with the code FRESHAIR right now.

Avocado, an LA based company with the softest, prettiest workout and atheleisure items made with an eco-conscious approach, is giving you 20% off your entire order with the code SAFEATHOME. Get you some.

If you’re looking for some new beauty products with clean, skin-loving ingredients, look no further than Wander Beauty. I love their “On-the-glow” blush and illuminator multi-stick, and their “Glow Ahead” illuminating face oil. You can get $20 off your order by clicking here.

I know the world of “clean beauty” and clean living in general can be overwhelming, so here is a list of EWG verified products to make your life easier. EWG has taken the guesswork out of knowing which consumer products are safer and healthier for you and your family.

This link is (sort of) in honor of my boyfriend Michael, who is maybe the most budget conscious human I’ve ever met… but the Skimm put together a great article on how to adjust your budget if you’ve been furloughed or let go from a job.

Hope you guys enjoy these links! Let me know what you like, or if there is more of something you’d like to see on here. Stay safe out there!

XO – Shelby

Down and Dirty Guide to: Essential Oils

June 14, 2016July 8, 2016Leave a comment

A Beginners Guide To-

Hello friends! Today I want to talk to you about essential oils.

About a year and a half ago, I became interested in learning more about essential oils after listening to several friends and acquaintances rave about them. What were they? Why was I just now hearing about them? Were they just a fad? Why would I want to incorporate them in my life? Were they hippy mumbo jumbo?

I set out on a quest to discover all of these things, and like any normal human, I turned to Google for answers. I immediately realized it was going to be very difficult to discern fact from fiction and to get the answers I was looking for about oils. There is just so much (often contradictory) info out there. I longed for a simple, broken-down, absolute beginner’s guide to oils.

And so a year and a half later, I’m writing one.

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