Hey everyone,
I have never done this on my blog before, but I received an e-mail a few weeks ago from a partner in a mineral suncare brand called Block Island Organics (www.blockislandorganics.com). They have a line of sunscreen products for adults and kids, and they wanted to know if I would be interested in trying and reviewing their product.
When I read that their philosophy is to actively enjoy the outdoors with the motto “Play Smart. Play Safe. Non-Toxic Suncare.”, I was intrigued. I checked out their Web site and noticed they really strive to make safe, effective and lovable suncare products, as well as to educate the public on suncare issues. The business started out of an eco spa on Block Island (which is located in Rhode Island) called Koru Eco Spa (www.koruecospa.com).
After checking out their ingredients, and after verifying that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) gave them a high rating, I agreed to try the product.
Block Island’s sunscreens are non-toxic and mineral based (zinc and titanium), as opposed to chemical based, and include a Baby SPF 30 (this product is zinc only), an SPF 15, SPF 30 and SPF 40 product. All products are non-comedogenic, vegan formulated, paraben free, phthalate free, nano particle free, artificial fragrance free, non-eye irritating, not tested on animals, and made in the USA. I received the SPF-15 to try out.
Here are my thoughts:
Does it Work? Yes! First of all, if you don’t know me in person, then you need to realize that I am a redhead with VERY fair skin…this means that all I have to do is LOOK at the sun shining and I can already feel the burn setting in (Just Kidding)! Seriously, though…I burn within just a few minutes of being outside if I don’t have sunscreen on, so I have to be very diligent. I also sweat. A LOT! It’s a constant struggle for me to find sunscreen that lasts through my sweating.
I used the SPF-15 sunscreen on a really hot and humid day here in South Carolina while I took my dogs on a walk (the walk lasted around 30 minutes). The sunscreen performed very well…no sunburn! Despite the fact that I’d put the sunscreen on over 2 hours before taking my dogs for the walk. The directions say to re-apply every 2 hours, so I wasn’t sure what to expect…but it performed like a champ!
Here are the details on the SPF-15 formula:
Active Ingredients: titanium dioxide 3.50%, zinc oxide 3.50%.
Inactive Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe Vera Gel) Juice*, Aqua (Deionized Water), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Carota Saativa (Carrot) Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Glycerin, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Lecithin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil*, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Rubus Idaeus (Rapsberry) Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Oil, Xanthan Gum. (*Certified Organic)
How does it compare to other sunscreens? There were some noticeable differences between the Block Island Organics sunscreen and the products I typically see in stores:
- Block Islands Organics reminded me a little of the sunscreens I used to use when I was a kid, as the ones available way back then (I was born in 1972, by the way) were mineral based as well. This was a little strange at first, since I haven’t used a mineral based sunscreen in YEARS. But the cool thing was that, unlike the sunscreens from my youth, this formula rapidly dried on my skin, and didn’t leave my skin feeling “gloopy” and sticky like most sunscreens.
- I am SUPER sensitive to smell, and most sunscreens today are either loaded with artificial fragrances that give me a headache, or they have that “sunscreen” smell. The Block Island Organics sunscreen really doesn’t have a fragrance. When you first put it on, you can smell the natural ingredients (mainly the Eucalyptus), but then pretty quickly, the smell just sort of disappears. LOVE!
- Because Block Island Organics sunscreen is mineral based, it does leave a whitish tint on your skin. But if you follow their suggestion of “A little goes a long way”, it really was fine. I put too much on my first arm, and it took me awhile to “rub it in” enough to get rid of the white tint. But the second arm went much better, as I just dabbed on little pea-sized drops along the arm and it rubbed in perfectly.
Do Their Claims Hold Water? After my walk with my dogs, and sweating a LOT on that walk, there were a few areas where the sunscreen had run due to sweating, but it didn’t affect its ability to protect me from the sun. WIN!
Would I Recommend Block Island Organics? Yes, I would. Though I will probably order the SPF-30 or SPF-40, as SPF-15 isn’t always enough for me. It will protect your skin while keeping you from being miserable due to nasty, runny sunscreen. PLUS, it’s all natural…remember, the skin is your biggest organ, so keep it healthy! I particularly love that it has so many ingredients known to be great for the skin (i.e., aloe, coconut oil and shea butter, among others), which makes me comfortable putting it on my face.
Where Can You Get Some? Block Island Organics sells directly through their website, http://www.blockislandorganics.com/. They have offered a discount code for readers of this post, which is valid from July 29 – August 4, 2014. Enter scyogagirl when checking out to receive 20% off your purchase.
Note: I received this product at no charge for the purposes of review. My review was not influenced in any way by Block Island Organics, nor do I receive any proceeds from sales or affiliate referrals. The views expressed in this post are entirely my own.
I hope you decide to buy this product, and if you do, comment here to let me know (and Block Island Organics) how you liked it!
Namaste,
Melanie
SC Yoga Girl 