As I was slathering my baby in sunscreen before our afternoon walk, I was reminded of being a young girl and the ridicule that I endured when I would put on sunscreen at the beach with my friends. My mom was a stickler not so much for sunscreen, but for staying out of the sun – period. So, when I did venture out to the beach, which was inevitable given I grew up in South Florida, I was forced to wear a sunscreen by Clinique which had either zinc or titanium dioxide in it. I didn’t read labels back then (most people didn’t), but I do recall that it turned my skin a horrible ghostly shade of white with a weird hint of purple. My friends all slathered on their Coopertone or whatever brand they used and never turned the color that I did, but I was afraid of the wrath of my mom, so I begrudgingly put on my sun block that turned my skin alien.
In trying to develop a good sunscreen for our line, I was adamant about our sunscreen being cosmetically appealing. In order to do so, I realized that our product would have to include toxic chemical ingredients. I learned that only one chemical sunscreen (Avobenzone) is legal in Europe. All the others have been banned. Why? Because chemical sunscreens generate free radicals that can damage cells; contain hormone-altering chemicals; and contain synthetic chemicals that can be toxic.
At the end of the day, we had to do what’s best for our JOON Girls. And, what’s best isn’t always pretty. Our Happy Face Moisturizer SPF 15 contains both Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide for the best broad spectrum coverage. When one of our girls tried the product she said, “It turned me purple.” I can relate. But I’d rather be a little purple and protected than at risk for skin cancer down the road. Girls don’t look that far into the future (why would they when the present moment is so fulfilling?), so it’s our job to make sure that they leave the house armed with the knowledge and the right products to protect their skin.
Admittedly, I don’t say thanks to my mom a whole lot, though I should. To this day, I don’t leave home without some sort of protection on my skin – even when the sun isn’t shining. Thanks, Mom.
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