7.12.2013

raw elements all natural organic sunscreen review

We are outside a lot. It's an off day if we haven't had at least one visit to a park by the time noon rolls around and we always find ourselves wrapping up our days at the park, too. Or at the beach, or at the pool, or running around in the backyard. Point being: we're always outside, and it's always hot down here in South Florida, but especially so during the dead of summertime. I'm always crazy about chasing Ethan around with a bottle of sunscreen and making sure it's applied properly but you should see me this summer, palms white with sunscreen and frantically wrestling with a toddler to just let me make sure his ears are completely covered. I mean, if you're going to be neurotic about something, sunscreen and skin safety is probably a good place to start. My mother had skin cancer cells removed earlier in the year and it was a brutal reminder to start being a little more diligent about sunscreen, for all of us. But here's my thing with sunscreen: why does there always have to be such a compromise? You can load your little one's skin up with harsh chemicals and toxins or you can let them burn to a crisp. Which do you choose? I wasn't sure and, as an already neurotic parent, I was pretty frantic about the whole thing.

When Raw Elements stepped in and offered to let us review some of their all natural sunscreens, it was a beautiful moment of tranquility in my stressed out little heart. I had spent the afternoon literally covered in thick, filmy white "all natural" sunscreen that I had tried to apply on Ethan before his swim lessons only to have it all melt off the moment his skin hit the water. (No, really. He saw the water turn white around him, licked his lips and said, "mmm, milk!") Here I was again at that annoying crossroads: my all natural sunscreens won't stay on in the water, and the other brands are just filled with too many harmful ingredients. What's a mom to choose?

I received a few products from Raw Elements to try and couldn't wait to get started: The Eco Formula 30+ Lotion, the Eco Stick 30+ and the Eco Tint Stick 30+. Before I get into the details on each product, let me just give you a little bit of need-to-know information about Raw Elements: they are the top-rated sunscreen by the EWG. I don't know about you, but the EWG is my go-to source when it comes to what I want to put on Ethan's skin. To know they rated Raw Elements as number one in both safety and efficiency, I was pretty excited to get started. I would also like to point out that when it comes to the ingredients of their eco formulas, you'll be pleased that you're able to recognize them (and that they're certified organic): certified organic sunflower, hemp seed oil, green tea and black tea, to name a few. I also love that the formulas include ingredients like organic cacao butter and natural mango butter to help keep your skin soft and nourished against the harsh sunlight, too. So many other products out there totally dry out your skin, so having naturally nourishing ingredients was a huge plus. The natural ingredient list makes Raw Elements sunscreens hypoallergenic and safe for all ages. Plus, it's cruelty free, reef safe and never tested on animals. All around win, am I right?

I enlisted the help of my teenage sister first to try out the Eco Formula Lotion. While it's still thick and white, even she was able to acknowledge that it rubs in nicely and doesn't leave too much residue. (You know, teenage priorities.) Ethan also got an all-over lotion rub down, too, for a day of playing out in the sun and water:

A little bit of this lotion goes a long way, and I love that. Sunscreens can be pricey and I find I'm always at the store grabbing another bottle because the usual formulas tend to require a lot. This formula is thicker, making it so you don't require as much, and it spreads nicely and is able to be used quite sparingly with full coverage. My all-time favorite thing about this sunscreen which I noticed right off the bat was that it doesn't run off with water.

The water actually balls up when it meets the sunscreen into little droplets. It doesn't run off. The sunscreen doesn't go anywhere -- it stays put and does the job it's supposed to do. This has been the one element I have not been able to find in any other sunscreen ever unless I wanted to rub some pretty nasty chemicals all over Ethan's skin, which I didn't. After hours of playing in the sun on that first day, Ethan didn't burn even slightly. To be honest, we've been using this lotion on him every single day (between park play, swim lessons or just when we're going out on a walk) and he hasn't even remotely burned. It works great. His skin is soft, isn't dried out and has absolutely no sun damage to it -- which was the ideal goal, after all. Raw Elements delivered.

The Tint Stick is my go-to for using on my face. It's specially tinted to blend in with your skin color, meaning it eliminates any white residue -- meaning it's socially acceptable for me to run into the grocery store after swim lessons without looking like a ghost. It's packed with antioxidants and nutrients which means my face gets moisturized in the process of combating sun damage. I have pretty pesky skin -- it's almost as if someone looks at me the wrong way, my entire face will break-out -- but I'm proud to say that it's remained clear, soft and healthy after usage.

I've been using the Eco Stick on Ethan's face every time we go outside. I seriously love this stuff and am in awe of how water resistant it is. Did you know that this could even be applied underwater? While Ethan and I were outside playing in his pool, I decided to show just how water resistant (it's exceeded the FDA's highest level of "very water resistant" and sweat resistant of 80 minutes) the Eco Stick is:

My verdict is -- we're hooked on Raw Elements sunscreen. It's finally possible to have a safe (the safest!) sunscreen that is both water resistant, sweat resistant and overall efficient -- while moisturizing and nourishing your skin in the process. Our family will never be buying another brand of sunscreen again, for any of us, and I'll be recommending Raw Elements wholly to our family and friends!

To Buy: Raw Elements Online Shop

For more information: Facebook and Twitter

I received these Raw Elements products to facilitate a product review. No compensation was provided and all opinions expressed are completely my own.

6 comments:

  1. I'm a total believer in using safe products on my children and I've also been bummed with the quality of organic sunscreens (but I always use them!). This stuff sounds great, and I LOVE your reviews they are super informative.

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  2. I just bought this b/c of you!! I have been using California Baby which I knew had a good rating on the EWG, but not the best. I needed another tube and when I saw how much better Raw elements protects against UVA/UVB (and also I felt that Henry was still getting darker than I thought he should despite my religious use of sunscreen) AND that it was cheaper than California baby, I was sold. Can't wait to get it in a couple of days and start trying it out. Thanks!

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  3. Thanks for the post, I am looking for some all natural suncreen for myself. I don't want to burn but I don't want to put harsh chemicals on my skin either. I have been doing lots of research on the best products to use, thanks for the information.

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  4. I recently bought this and do you think it has a smell to it bc mine does...://

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  5. This sunscreen is great! Reef-safe, cruelty free, biodegradable... I love it! One thing though-- you mention that you use it every time that your son is outside. Of course it's important to protect against overexposure, but moderate sun is actually very healthy! Maybe put the sunscreen on after he's had a little while to soak up the rays, and all of the health benefits that go along with that?

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