MamAnomolie

If you've read much of this blog or know me very well, you also know that I can be quite...what's the word? Interested? Concerned? Obsessed! That's it! I can be quite obsessed with the ingredients that are found in personal care products. I look at the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database religiously when looking for a new product.

That being said, I also want the product to work well besides being safe to slather on my hair or skin or, more importantly, Sophie's. I have found myself inching higher and higher on the ratings scale trying to find a shampoo and conditioner that will tame my mane. No luck on that yet.

When it comes to products for Sophie, especially sunscreen that will be applied liberally all over her, I've been pretty picky. I had been using California Baby, which is safe and works, but you know that scene in Twilight when Edward reveals what happens to him in sunlight and he's all pale and shimmery? Seriously, that is what Sophie looked like. It worked for Robert Pattinson. Not so much for my daughter.

So, when SafeMama gave Purple Prairie Sun Stuff their Best Overall Sunscreen Award and mentioned that it "doesn't leave you looking ghostly," I knew I had to try it. After cross referencing the Cosmetic Safety Database, of course. It checked out. I've been using it on Sophie all summer and LOVE it!

Purple Prairie Sun Stuff does indeed rub into Sophie's skin! It is more expensive than what you could grab at the store, but costs less than California Baby. For about $20 you get 2.9 ounces of the California Baby lotion versus 9.5 ounces of Purple Prairie Sun Stuff. My only complaint is that it is so thick it can be kind of hard to squeeze out of the bottle. But that also means I can hand Sophie the bottle to distract her and I know that she won't get it everywhere.

I highly recommend Purple Prairie Sun Stuff from Purple Prairie Botanicals! You know, unless you're into the vampire thing.

It's the first day of summer, which means it's time to slather on the sunscreen. The problem is, some of the ingredients in those sunscreens could be unhealthy. Furthermore, many of the sunscreens on the market simply don't do a very good job of protecting your skin from the suns harmful rays.

The Food and Drug Administration began writing regulations for sunscreen in 1978....are you waiting for the rest of that sentence, because there is no more. They have yet to issue their final regulations after thirty-two years!

So, interested in which sunscreens have safe ingredients and will provide the protection you need? The Environmental Working Group has come to the rescue again with their 2010 Sunscreen Guide. Take a look at where your favorite brand ranks, and find out which sunscreens you can feel good about using on yourself and your family!

Recently while watching television with my husband, a commercial came on for some lip gloss. "Sometimes I wish I was one of those people who could see a commercial for something like lip gloss and just go out and buy it," I said to Jonathan. I am not one of those people. Not since becoming more aware of all of the questionable ingredients that can be found in our lip gloss, shampoo, lotion - all of our personal care products.

Luckily, there is a GREAT resource out there that can help you sort through all of those ingredients and make informed decisions about what you put on yourself. It's the Cosmetic Safety Database from the Environmental Working Group. The Cosmetic Safety Database lets you look up just about any personal care product out there. Each one has been ranked on a scale of 1 to 10 based on the known and suspected hazards or each of the ingredients.

The database is incredibly thorough. One thing I really like about it is that you can look up everything from the froo froo fancy organic shampoo to the CVS brand of shampoo. But c'mon, doesn't somebody already test all of these products for safety? Nope. And while there are about 1,000 ingredients banned from personal care products in the European Union, there are only about 9 banned here in the U.S.

So, take a look at the Cosmetic Safety Database, but be warned, you may never see lip gloss commercials the same way.