Chemical-Free, Nano-Free Sunscreen Recommendations

If you prefer to use a natural sunscreen this summer, but hate the chalky white coating many of the mineral-based ones leave on your skin, you'll be relieved to know that Natural Solutions did the research and came up with a list of safe, effective, non-Casperish (as in Casper the ghost) sunscreens.

Additionally, the seven chemical-free sunscreens that made the list do not contain questionable nanoparticles, according to their manufacturers. Currently, there are no regulations concerning nanoparticles, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in sunscreens and other skincare products. At the same time, there is growing concern about whether nanoized ingredients can penetrate the skin and cause damage.

So if you are heading to the beach, below are your best options for healthy sunscreen. They are listed from most absorbable to least.

UV Natural Sunscreen (5.29 oz, $33.50; uvnaturalusa.com). It has a 30+ SPF and it's active ingredient is zinc oxide. It was found to be highly absorbable, but a bit oily.

Lavera Family Sun Spray (6.6 oz., $26.50; lavera.com). This one was the editor's pick. It has an SPF of 15 and it also received the highest absorbability rating. It's active ingredient is titanium dioxide.

Lotus Moon Sage Sun Protective Creme (2 oz, $32; lotusmoon.biz). Made with both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It has an SPF of 25 and is easy to apply. It is pretty absorbable, but not as much as the two listed above.

Erbaviva Sunscreen (4 oz., $28; erbaviva.com). Has an SPF of 15 and is made with titanium dioxide. It is noted to have a fresh herbal scent. Ranked in the middle for absorbability.

Alba Botanica Fragrance Free Mineral Sunscreen(4 oz., $9.95; albabotanica.com). This one has an 18 SPF and is made with titanium dioxide. It's also middle of the road for absorbability.

Nature's Gate Mineral Sunblock (4 oz, $9.49; natures-gate.com). With an SPF of 20 this titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreen is one of the least absorbable on the least.

Jason SunBrellas Mineral Based Physical Sunblock (4 oz, $14; jason-natural.com). It has a higher SPF of 30 and contains both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Like Nature's Gate Mineral Sunblock, this one also has a poorer absorbability rating.

New Seals on Natural & Organic Bodycare Products

Ever wonder how pure, natural or organic your soap, shampoo and deodorant are? Sure their labels might proclaim in big, bold lettering natural, but then you read the ingredient lists and you can't pronounce half of what you read or have a clue if those chemicals are really safe.

Well, starting this summer, things are going to get a little easier for those in search of healthier personal care products.

If you shop at Whole Foods Market, you've already seen their Premium Body Care seal on 1,200 items sold in their stores. To qualify for the label, a product must contain "ingredients as close to nature and as minimally processed as possible" as well as have minor environmental impact. See wholefoodsmarket.com/wholebody.pbc for more information.

If you've been confused about what products are truly organic, the OASIS label is debuting this August to give some clarity on the claim. OASIS--which stands for Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards--is the first organic standard for the U.S. beauty and personal care market. It has the support of 30 founding members, including: Perfect Organics, Hain Celestial, Aveda, Juice Beauty, Buddha Nose, Origins, L'Oreal, Head Organics, Trillium Organics and Suki.

In order to qualify for the OASIS seal, a product must contain 85 percent certified organic ingredients (not including water and salt). For more information, visit: oasisseal.org

The Natural Products Association also has rolled out a seal, which covers products containing at least 95 percent natural ingredients. Additionally, in order to bear this seal, a product cannot contain any synthetic ingredients linked with any suspected health risks.

Companies participating in this certification, include: Burt's Bees, Aubry Organics, Badger, California Baby, Farmaesthetics, Trilogy and Weleda. Visit thenaturalseal.com for more information.

Drink White or Green Tea for Bone Health

More good news for tea drinkers. A recent study has found that drinking tea--especially white or green--is good for the bones.

The research, which was published in the Journal of American College of Nutrition, found that regular tea drinkers had higher bone density in their hips than non-tea drinkers.

Additionally, tea drinkers lost less bone-mineral density than nondrinkers.

Researchers believe that the potent antioxidants, called catechin polyphenols, found in tea are responsible for the bone-boosting benefits.

White tea has the highest catechin concentration, followed by green tea. Black tea has the least amount.

Photo Credit: David Wilmot (Wikipedia.org)

Omega-3s May Be A Good Weight Loss Aid

Here is some good news if you're trying to cut calories, but need help keeping hunger pains away. A new study has found that when overweight people supplement their restricted diet with omega-3 fatty acids, they feel fuller longer.

The research, published in the journal Appetite, compared two groups of overweight volunteers. While both groups were randomly assigned a calorie-restricted, balanced diet, one group was given 260 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day while the other groups was given 1300 mg.

The participants' appetites were tested during the last two weeks of the eight-week study. Researchers found that the group supplementing their diets with the higher dosage of omega-3s had fewer hunger sensations both immediately following a meal and two hours later.

"The most important finding of this study is that subjects who eat a dinner rich in long chain omega-3 fatty acids feel less hunger and more full directly after and 2 hours after then their counterparts fed with the low long chain omega-3 fatty acids diet," wrote the authors. "This observation indicates that long chain omega-3 fatty acids modulate hunger signals."

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Brown Seaweed Extract Burns Away the Pounds

If you're looking for magic in a bottle to lose weight, you'll be happily surprised to learn that numerous Japanese studies suggest that supplementing with brown seaweed extract may be the ticket to shed those unwanted pounds.

Actually, it's the pigment--known as fucoxanthin--which gives the brown seaweed its color that contains the fat burning benefits.

Fucoxanthin, a non-stimulant thermogenic, has been popping up on health food stores' shelves over the past year.

You can find the extract in Garden of Life's Fucothin, Nature's Vision Brown Seaweed Extract with Fucoxanthin, and In Shape's Fucoxanthin.

Of course, a healthy diet along with exercise should be included in any weight loss plan.

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Herbal Remedy that Kills Bad Breath & Fights Tooth Decay

A stress-relief herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine is now being hailed as a cure for halitosis.

Researchers found that when study participants used a mint containing magnolia bark extract, it killed 61 percent of the oral bacteria that causes bad breath and tooth decay within 30 minutes. On the other hand, the study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry also found that flavorless mints without the herbal extract only killed 3.6 percent of the bacteria.

Mints containing magnolia bark extract were found as effective at combating bad breath as gargling with 20 ml of Listerine mouthwash.

Currently, finding mints and gum containing magnolia bark is almost impossible, but not for long. Coming on the heels of this research, Wrigley's recently announced that Eclipse with magnolia bark extract will appear on store shelves this summer and mints will follow this September.

In the meantime, you can freshen your breath by making your own mouthwash from magnolia bark tea.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Raising the Bar Again

If you're a regular reader of Vibrant Glow, you know that I'm a big fan of MyChelle Dermaceuticals and that's why it's the only skincare line that's in VG's Amazon store. It's free of toxic chemicals, but it's so effective (see review).

Recently, MyChelle has taken their products a step further by incorporating more organic ingredients into them and making their ingredients compliant with the European Union Cosmetic Directive (EUCD)--which has extremely stringent guidelines. While skincare products here in the United States are allowed to contain parabens and phthlates, which have been linked to cancer, as well as other dangerous substances, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, the EUCD has banned them and all ingredients classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction.

The EUCD also requires that every ingredient be listed on a label. Unfortunately, U.S. manufacturers aren't required to be as transparent and often omit listing ingredients.

Going the extra mile when they don't have to and raising their already high standards even to greater heights, makes me love MyChelle Dermaceutical even more. It tells me that they truly care about their customers.

With all the upgrades made to already great products, I have to admit that I do miss the pineapple smell in the Fruit Enzyme Cleanser and Toner, which now has a grapefruit scent. One VG reader who was smitten with the smell of the Revitalizing Night Cream wrote to me expressing her dismay when she recently purchased the reformulated product to find it lost its heavenly scent. It is one of several products that is now unscented. I could empathize with her. However, the results from using MyChelle products are so amazing and the ingredients are by far the purest and most effective on the market, I still won't put anything else on my skin no matter how enticing the smell.

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