I don’t know about you but I’m a summer babe through and through. I abhor the cold am always dreaming about long, hot, sunny days.

And because sport is life for my kids, long rounds of golf for my son, surf sports, and netball for my gal, pretty much all our spare time is spent outdoors.

This is great because it means my whole family gets all the wonderful benefits that the sun provides. For starters, it’s nature’s wonderful anti-depressant, helping us to feel upbeat and happy, and it also helps our bodies manufacture Vitamin D. Yes, you can and should also get vitamin D by eating vitamin D rich foods like wild-caught salmon, mackerel, sardines, eggs, and mushrooms, but it’s far more effective getting it from the sun. The sun is the best way to ensure we get enough, especially since vitamin D deficiency is so common and has been linked to certain cancers, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, depression, osteoporosis, and many other ailments.

The outdoors lifestyle definitely puts us at risk of sun overexposure however, even with all our hats, clothes, shade, and rashies, so sunscreen is a non-negotiable preventative option for us.

This brings me to the two types of sunscreen on the market:

1) Chemical-based sunscreens use chemical ingredients or active constituents that absorb UV radiation preventing the rays from penetrating the skin. Basically, the sunblock soaks up the rays like a sponge. They contain ingredients like synthetic preservatives, synthetic fragrances, and parabens, and toxic ingredients like oxybenzone (endocrine disruptor and bleaches and kills coral reefs. This ingredient is actually banned in Hawaii), avobenzone, octisilate, retinyl palmitate (may harm the skin and may lead to skin tumors), to name a few.

Keeping in mind we need to coat sunscreen thickly onto the skin and reapply every 90 minutes, multiple times a day, so hours of skin absorbing exposure to all those toxins is putting our kids and our own health at risk.

2) Mineral-based sunscreens tend to block UVA better than chemical sunscreens and the good ones use zinc oxide which creates a physical barrier for the skin from the sun. But not all mineral sunscreens use safe ingredients, so ALWAYS check out the ingredient list.

Naturally, I go for the mineral-based sunscreens but there’s another problem.

Over the years of buying natural sunscreens, we have struggled to find one which the kids are happy to use.

Does this sound familiar?

“This sunscreen makes me look like a ghost”

“It’s too thick”

“It stinks”

“It’s too oily”

“It doesn’t rub in”

While I’ve personally been prepared to just suck up all the shortcomings, the kids end up sneaking off and using their mate’s sunscreens which is defeating the whole purpose.

But with all the trial and error over the years and recent vast improvements in natural sunscreens, I’m happy to say I can narrow it down to the top three favourite sunscreens as listed below.

Firstly, here is my easy 2-step rule when shopping for sunscreen:

1) Always choose a sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection, is a mineral-based sunscreen using Zinc Oxide (now comes in invisible form), and is ocean and marine friendly.

2) Avoid sunscreens that have the chemical ingredients which have been shown to penetrate the skin contributing to allergic skin reactions and other health impacts including hormonal disturbance: – Chemical UV filters/absorbers, Nanoparticles, sulphates, parabens, petrochemcials, and artificial fragrances.

It pays to note, however, that in Australia the full list of ingredients is not required to be fully disclosed!  Because brands can hide certain ingredients I recommend always asking the brand for a full ingredient list.

My Top 3 Favourite Natural Sunscreens, all Australian made, in order of preference:

1. Hello Sunshine – easily the best smelling of them all and special mention to their Facestick which we can throw into all our little bags and easily reapply as needed and now they have a fab new tinted facestick! 

1. Little Urchin – just love their tinted option too
2. Whatnot – this one is the thickest of the lot to apply but makes you feel like you’ve got great coverage. It’s a little greasier too.

Do you have a favourite natural sunscreen? Let me know in the comments.

Other posts you might like …

The Hidden Dangers of Natural Sunscreens (and the ones I recommend)

The Best Natural Skincare Products for Women Over 40

Best Natural Skincare for Teenage Girls

Bren x

You know you really need one when the increasingly looming departure date feels mentally like it will never arrive. You never quite know how you’re going to survive those last few days without passing out or dead-legging a kitten. But you do, and like a school assignment that is handed in three minutes before being due, your mind and well being are suddenly cleared for take-off!

It’s like magic, which coincidentally describes Noosa to a ‘T’. Our home away from home feels like a warm embrace and a snugly blanket all in one. A place where all deadlines, troubles and responsibilities are denied entry, and we can exist and relax as a family. Stunning beaches reflecting the clear Sunshine Coast skies, wonderful weekend markets, a good book or two, fighting relaxed kids … it doesn’t get much better.

The best part is that there are no timetables. It’s nice when your biggest decisions revolve around pool, beach, and whether to take in the unbelievable sunset from your apartment, or do so over a cocktail!

Fortunately for us, we had our own (river) beach at the end of Noosa Sound, where we would swim, play cricket on the grass, or, mostly, build sand castles. Not just any sand castles, though! An infatuation with another guest’s expert sand castles led to the kids inheriting the spade, trowels and other utensils. We literally spent hours fashioning Inca temples and castles, with the kids honing their ‘stair’ technique without breaking focus.

When we headed for the beach, which was most mornings, the north-facing Main Beach and (more secluded) Tea Tree Bay (main picture) didn’t disappoint. Gentle, rolling waves were perfect for body surfing, boogie boarding and learning to ride a board. Hours passed with what seemed like the blink of an eye.

As a quick thought, I’m often asked about non-toxic sun blocks. Here are the two highly recommended ones we took with us:

Dr Mercola – A natural sunscreen, which is great for the whole family and is free of chemical fragrances, parabens and nanoparticles. It gave great protection for all of us, though but I found the 30+ a little hard to wash off the skin without a good scrub in the shower (if you have an Enjo glove mitt, it gets it off in seconds).

You can buy the Dr Mercola sunscreen from Health Oasis and the Enjo mitt here.

And I love using Mutki which is a tinted 15+ sunscreen, it is also free of any nasties and is safe to use all year round. In fact, the healing antioxidants in it are always good for the skin.

The coverage was perfect and felt like velvet on my skin, giving me an even, subtle coverage. The colour I used was a medium tint, but it also comes in fair. I used this on the days when I was traipsing around Eumundi markets, shopping on Hastings Street or walking to a cafe for breakfast or lunch.

The beaches being so close to Hastings Street is always a bonus. Home to boutiques, cafes, restaurants and ice-creameries like the amazing Massimo’s, you’re never short of a good sticky beak, snack, or, in my husband’s case, a good coffee!

A highlight along the strip is Bistro C, which has gorgeous views overlooking the beach, and picture perfect for sipping an unforgettable coriander-infused vodka cocktail! A couple days later I enjoyed a mouth watering breakfast there with some of the best wellness warriors the coast has to offer .

For us, a trip to Noosa is not complete until we’ve toured Eumundi Markets – again. And we never get tired of it! Wonderful stalls with clothes, jewellery, furniture, home wares, organic produce, palm reading, caricature drawings, homemade muffins and cakes and coffee await. Not to mention the BEST seafood paella this side of Madrid!

We spent a day recreating a previous holiday to Maroochydore, less than an hour south. There we stalked the Cotton Tree Markets, which are a fraction of the size of Eumundi, though we ended up buying more. Go figure! I tracked down my apron lady and stocked up on some sweet, original aprons for my School Holiday Kids Cooking Classes, before popping down to the ever-sweet Cotton Tree Beach………

The kids are old enough to swim out to the sand bank now, which was an adventure. Or, they could allow the delightful little circular rip drag them out and back to shore within minutes.

My favourite part of every day, though, was watching the sun start to sink on behind the mountain on the horizon each evening. We would have to quickly grab a glass of wine because it was quick to set, but oh so calming …

I read Room by Emily Donoghue while I was there and, as a bit of a claustrophobe, it was quite a confronting and uncomfortable read. But I found the story of a 5yr old boy and his mum who lived in a small (11ft square) locked room totally compelling. I fell in love with the mother, and felt it was a lovely comment on the protective, nurturing love of a mother, and the amazing bond with her child.

I needed a couple of days break after reading this book before I started the transportational The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, a magical, dazzling and deeply romantic ride I didn’t want to get off.

How often do you find the time to read a couple of books in a week these days?

It’s nothing compared to the time we get to spend together as a family, though. I can’t wait for the next one … hopefully slightly longer!

Bren x