17: sunblock

So it's still going. I'm still casually packing, telling myself that this will make the end mess of big packing and cramming easier.

While with Joe, we picked up some more natural products Trader Joe's, and I was excited to see their (again, not completely but more) natural sunblock. I have serious issues with slathering white chemicals all over my body.

Granted, I haven't been the greatest at using the stuff. I was in high school. It was more important for me to be tan. I went tanning. I used tanning accelerator. Now, as members spread throughout my family struggle with cancer, I realize that there are more important things.

Like loving the way I look all year.
Like preventing skin cancer.
(And let's face it. Like not becoming one of those leathery old dames that spent too much time dipped in iodine and baby oil.)

I looked into making my own sunblock. I knew it wouldn't be as easy for our year in France (because I am afraid to translate all the ingredients correctly), but I wanted to know what that process would look like. I will spare you the re-typing and explaining. I will instead send you to instructables.

If you don't feel like jumping into making the whole thing yourself, eHow had a great idea. (Instructables mention this too, but I saw it on eHow first.) The active ingredients in store sunscreens are either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (like I said, scary-sounding things to put on your skin!). Both are in powder form, so you can add the stuff to your favorite (all natural) lotion in a ratio of one tablespoon powder to one of cup lotion.


So if you have a kitchen of your own (wow, calling Woolf to mind) and a bit of time, try it out. The initial investment can get a bit expensive, but once everything is in stock, you're set for more than a summer.

I may choose to navigate that mess one day, but for not I'm sticking with Alba Organics' green tea sunscreen. Don't go getting all snotty on me. You know you pay too much for your Banana Boat or your Coppertone. You know that shit's overpriced. You don't know (and I don't either. Another post perhaps?) what it could be doing to you besides blocking a few rays.

So if we're already protecting ourselves with a pricier product, why not spend the extra $2 to get one that will truly wash off or let botanicals instead of chemicals seep into those tanned arms and legs?