Grab Bag Sunblock List:

It’s that time of year… time to think about what (not if) you slather your precious peau with when out in the elements.

Please click on the following links to go to new, updated lists of sunscreens that are effective and safe. These lists have been released by the Environmental Working Group, and ingredients have been analyzed in their extensive database for safety.

Remember this tip from the EWG:

The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt. No chemicals to absorb through the skin, no questions about whether they work. But when you can’t get away from exposing your skin to the sun, use EWG’s top-rated sunscreens to provide broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB-sunburn) protection with fewer hazardous chemicals that penetrate the skin.

BEST BEACH AND SPORT SUNSCREENS

BEST MOISTURIZERS WITH SPF

Marie Veronique is my choice here…. it’s really amazing.

The Devita is nice, too.

MAKEUP WITH SPF

This list is short... Jane Iredale’s Pressed Base is my favorite here, although I have by no means tried them all.

And here are some sunscreens the EWG suggests we avoid:

EWG’s Sunscreens to Avoid:

• 
• Aveeno Active Naturals Hydrosport Sunblock Spray, SPF 85
• Aveeno Sunblock Spray, Continuous Protection, SPF 70
• Banana Boat Kids UltraMist Sunscreen, SPF 110
• Banana Boat Kids UltraMist Sunscreen, SPF 85
• Banana Boat Sport Performance Active Max Protect Continuous Spray Sunscreen, SPF 110
• Banana Boat Ultra Defense UltraMist Sunscreen Continuous Clear Spray, SPF 85
• CVSExtreme Sport Clear Mist Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70+
• CVS Sheer Mist Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Sunblock Lotion, Body Mist, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Spectrum+ Sunblock Spray, SPF 100
• Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray, SPF 100+
• Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock Lotion, SPF 100+
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock Lotion, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Sunblock Spray, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunblock Spray, SPF 85+
• Walgreens Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen, SPF 70

Grab Bag Dress for Success:

I posted about this over a year ago, but it is so great I think it deserves another mention. 

UPF 50 clothing…. it’s sunblock without the hassle. And one of my favorites (for ladies… guys can find something similar out there, I am certain) is Athleta’s UPF 50 ruched sun guard shirt/dress…. a brilliant answer to a lot of sunblock. Going for a swim?…. put this on and just sunblock the areas left exposed. It helps A LOT. This year it comes in 5 colors:

Click on the picture above to go to the Athleta sun guard page. 

Grab Bag Go with Your Gut:

Further findings from the the Anatomy Lab.

Back in the lab a few weeks ago, we spent a good deal of time talking about, and exploring the relationship between, the brain and the gut. The relationship is not only in our everyday vernacular- “I have a gut feeling” – but there is a physical continuum between the two. 

The brain and the gut are made of the same cloth, so to speak, tailored differently during fetal development. Your brain and spinal cord become your central nervous system, while the “second brain” becomes the gut, known as the enteric nervous system. And they are directly connected…..yes, hard-wired together by the vagus nerve, the 10th cranial nerve that runs from brain stem to abdomen. 

Wow! This is an AH-HA moment when you really think about it. These two seemingly disparate organs are partners in so many ways, and recent research out of Sweden shows some astonishing relationships.

Studies in mice show that levels of anxiety and populations of gut bacteria are related, most significantly during developmental stages. This information will foster a cavalcade of new studies, and I can’t wait to see what they find. 

For now, I we should know this: The brain and the gut are kissin’ cousins, and to think of them separately is to ignore the whole picture.

Grab Bag Brain Booster Tips:

Tip 1….. Don’t Worry, Just Write

Worried about a presentation, a test or any other performance-based moment in your near future? Recent research from the University of Chicago now shows that spending 10 minutes writing down your feelings of anxiousness, worry and concern can nearly neutralize the deleterious effects of anxiety.

Photo: ALAMY

Not only does this result in a calmer frame of mind under pressure, but results in test takers were measurably improved over those worriers who just sat quietly for 10 minutes prior to crunch time.

Tip 2…. Total Recall Takes…. Practice

Need to learn a lot of material? Research at Purdue University says what’s old is new again…. forget the formulas and devices you’ve been taught to memorize complicated material. The best method is to practice retrieving facts you have studied.

So… if you want to walk down Memory Lane, read the material, then write down everything you remember about what you just learned. Then repeat. Repeat. Repeat. 

photo: NatureGreeting Cards

Grab Bag Brain Game:

Physics homework… only much more fun.

BAD KID’S HOMEWORK

Grab Bag Funny Stuff:

Want ads we’d like to see….