LET THE SUN SHINE IN: SUN-HARMONIZING SUN-CARE

Sunbeams, Sunblock and Sunscreens: Frequently Asked Suncare Questions

Living Libations suncare creations exist to honor the wisdom of the skin’s relationship with the sun. This is the art of sun-harmonizing: gently encouraging the skin's natural photo-protection with nourishing botanicals, replenishing pigments, and sun-friendly phenols, flavonoids and carotenoids that coalesce to harmonize your skin’s symbiosis in the sun. Our superfine suncare line lets the sun shine in when you want to make melanin and provides shade with our Zinc Beach Balm and Lotion.

From lightweight lipids that preserve the juiciness of your tan to mineral-rich balms that act as a gossamer shield, our sun care is designed to align your skin with the glorious rays of the sun's life force. These sun-synergy formulations create a breathable dermal canopy, delivering non-nano zinc alongside a botanical bouquet of polyphenols and pigments without chemicals like titanium oxide and oxybenzone. This allows your skin to respire and interact with the light while remaining fully doused in botanical and mineral based grace.

“Keep squeezing drops of the Sun.”
Hafiz

What is Everybody Loves the Sunshine? Everybody Loves the Sunshine is a sanctuary of nourishing and sun-harmonizing botanical oils for body and face when soaking in some sun, and for after fun in the sun to preserve the juiciness of your tan. It contains silky, ceramide-rich oils with fourteen active essences that are especially adept at synchronizing the sun’s rays with our skin while providing a light, verdant veil. High concentrations of sun-friendly flavonoids and carotenoids lend pure pigments to these robust essences that act as regenerative replenishers to keep the skin smooth and strong.

Everybody Loves the Sunshine is a delightful daily serum for every inch of skin – including the face. Synergizing skin to the sun’s rays for UV interplay, yet it is not a sunblock, nor is it a sunscreen. It is the golden tanning oil of your dreams as you bask in making melanin.

What does Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc do?
Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc lotion has 20% zinc oxide along with all of the sun-harmonizing botanical oils in Everybody Loves the Sunshine. This mineral-plant potion keeps sun-kissed skin cool during days of outdoor play.

In this formula, zinc oxide is suspended in sun-loving cold-pressed botanical oils and pigments, along with essences that nurture skin replenishment. We combine zinc, a natural mineral, with high concentrations of sun-friendly extracts to give your skin an optimal option for sunny outdoor days.

Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc is child-safe, reef-safe, and a sensible option for sensitive and acneic skin. It can be used daily on the face and body.

Does Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc have an SPF? Is it a sunblock or sunscreen?
We do not classify or label Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc as an SPF product, a sunblock, or a sunscreen. It is important to note that SPF is a regulatory claim achieved through specific testing protocols for active ingredients of synthetic chemical filters.

While our product is not classified with an SPF value, it is formulated with 20% non-nanoparticle zinc oxide. This concentration is well within the generally recognized effective range for mineral sun protection (15% to 25%), and the maximum allowed zinc oxide percentage in the US for sun protection products is 25%. Zinc oxide functions by forming a physical barrier on the skin's surface that primarily absorbs, but also scatters and reflects, UV light. This differs from synthetic chemical sunscreen ingredients (e.g., oxybenzone or avobenzone), which primarily work by absorbing UV rays and converting them into heat. Our formulation prioritizes pure, effective botanicals alongside non-nano zinc oxide for comprehensive sun harmonization.

What are the concerns regarding synthetic chemical UV filters?
Synthetic chemical UV filters work by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) rays and converting them into heat. While effective, some concerns arise regarding their broader impact on skin health and protection balance.

Firstly, these filters efficiently block UVB rays, which are the primary wavelengths responsible for many beneficial biological functions, including stimulating Vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Secondly, a more significant concern for some formulations is their potential for unbalanced protection. They may block UVB effectively (preventing sunburn) while offering less robust or photostable protection across the entire UVA spectrum. This can lead to what is known as "isolated UVA" exposure.

Isolated UVA radiation penetrates deeper into the skin and is a major contributor to skin dysregulation, and DNA damage (indirectly, through free radical generation), and skin cancer, often without the immediate warning sign of sunburn. This imbalance of protection means users may unknowingly accumulate significant UVA damage. These filters also often contain ingredients that can be controversial for side effects of skin absorption, negatively impacting immune and endocrine, along with the environment.

What is zinc oxide and is it safe to use on the skin?
Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a top-tier, widely used mineral that inherently provides broad-spectrum protection. Its mechanism of action is that zinc oxide works by forming a physical barrier on the skin's surface that primarily absorbs, but also scatters and reflects, UV light.

Yes, it is safe for skin and has been historically used as an anti-inflammatory for common conditions like acne and diaper rashes. The FDA has deemed it Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective (GRASE), and importantly, it does not degrade when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

For Living Libations, the best type of zinc is the kind that we use in our formulation: a non-nanoparticle, uncoated, laboratory-grade zinc oxide, as it is the purest form of zinc available. The molecular size of this type of zinc particle is too large to penetrate and be absorbed by the skin’s outer layer (the stratum corneum). We prefer uncoated zinc oxide as coated zinc oxide is made with a synthetic silicone coating (triethoxycaprylylsilane). Unlike nanoparticle minerals and chemical sunscreens, our zinc oxide does not interfere with the skin’s respiration.

Why use essential oils for suncare?
Essential oils are the distillates of plants that contain the vital essences of their parent plant matter. The essential oils and lipid-oils we use in our Everybody Loves the Sunshine suncare gently harmonize the skin soak in sun rays. Formulated with sun-friendly flavonoids and carotenoids, they lend rich colors to some of these robust essences that act as antioxidants to keep the skin looking fresh and radiant. It is important to note that only a handful of essential oils are photosensitizing, and these are deliberately excluded from our sun care formulas, ensuring complete sun harmony.

Many scientists are interested in botanical essences these days, and a few are conducting research on how botanical oils interact with skin in the sun. We invite you to explore some of the research on sun, botanical oils, and the skin for yourself:

Botanical oils and the sun: “In vitro Sun Protection Factor Determination of Herbal Oils used in Cosmetics,” Pharmacognosy Research, Vol 2, Issue 1, Jan-Feb, 2010

Tamanu Oil and the sun: “Cytoprotective effect against UV-induced DNA damage and oxidative stress: role of new biological UV filter,” European journal of pharmaceutical sciences, March 2007

Raspberry Seed Oil and the sun: “Characteristics of Raspberry Seed Oil,” Food Chemistry, 69:2000.

Is Everybody Loves the Sunshine + Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc reef and ocean safe?
Our zinc oxide is reef-safe and ocean life safe. Our botanical oils are all natural, organic, and biodegradable, and they are also safe to use in the ocean.

When did people start using minerals for sun protection?
The concept of using minerals for sun protection dates back millennia, with ancient civilizations grinding and applying natural substances like rice bran, plant extracts, clays, and colored earth pigments for skin shielding. Zinc oxide, in particular, has a long history of medicinal use, appearing in Indian medicinal practices (Pushpanjan) as early as 800-500 BC for skin protection.

Its more modern use as a visible "sunblock" began in the mid-20th century. In the 1940s, zinc oxide was widely recognized for its UV-reflecting properties and became a component in early commercial sunscreens. By the 1960s and 1970s, it was famously sported by lifeguards and surfers on their noses and faces as a thick, white, physical barrier against the sun's reflective rays. Zinc in these days was a heavy, white paste, yet its effectiveness was undeniable.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), while discovered in 1821, became widely adopted in sunscreens from the 1980s onwards, as mass-marketing of sunscreens spread. In the 2000s, the development of nano-sized particles for both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide further commercialized mineral sunscreens, allowing for a clearer, less visible application. However, we now know these nano-particles are too small and reactive for our standards of purity and dermal integrity.

Do Living Libations suncare products use titanium dioxide?
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are both mineral (physical) UV filters approved by regulatory bodies like the FDA and Health Canada as "generally recognized as safe and effective" (GRASE) for use in sunscreens. However, there are nuances that lead the purists to prefer zinc oxide, particularly in light of certain concerns regarding TiO2:

One primary concern with titanium dioxide, especially its nanoparticle forms (which are used to reduce the white cast), is its photocatalytic activity. Upon exposure to UV light, TiO2 can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals. These free radicals have the potential to damage skin cells and DNA, and could theoretically accelerate photoaging or cell disturbance. While some manufacturers coat TiO2 particles to mitigate this effect, the production of these radicals is an inherent property, and ongoing research continues to explore long-term implications.

In contrast, zinc oxide remains the preferred standalone mineral filter for its comprehensive broad-spectrum protection, superior photostability, and its natural role in biology. Zinc oxide’s skin-soothing compatibility is widely recognized for being gentler and non-irritating, making it highly suitable for sensitive, acne-prone, or reactive skin, and is the only active sunscreen ingredient approved for infants under six months old. It also possesses anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe skin conditions. Titanium dioxide, however, does not offer these additional benefits, and its nanoparticles may raise concerns for delicate tissues.

While nano-sized mineral particles offer a cosmetically clear finish, Living Libations opts for purity in our sun care. Concerns regarding the potential for nanoparticles to penetrate the skin's protective barrier and for titanium dioxide's photocatalytic activity to generate free radicals under UV exposure, lead us to choose non-nanoized zinc oxide. These larger particles remain on the skin's surface, providing superior broad-spectrum protection by reflecting and scattering UV rays without interference. This ensures maximum UV defense and skin vitality, honoring your skin's natural respiration and safeguarding its integrity with unparalleled purity.

Does the Zinc Oxide give skin a white sheen?
Yes, it can. Even with the addition of botanical pigments, the zinc in Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc Lotion will give skin of all tones a white sheen. However, many clients with a full range of skin tones embrace the visible protection of zinc. Many also use Everybody Loves the Sunshine with Zinc as a sheer, tinted moisturizer. If you are not fond of the sheen or find it tricky to work with, you can minimize it by placing some of the product in your palm, rubbing your hands together, and then applying it to the face and body. If this is still unsuitable, you can also add a touch of makeup pigment that matches your skin tone for custom tinting.

"Once i added this into my daily routine it really changed skin and the health of love product am excited to continue use it." - Alexis

"I absolutely LOVE this zinc! Smells amazing and a little goes a long way!" — Amanda

"Leaves your skin with a great glow." — Danielle

"This sunscreen is MAGIC. This formula is MAGICAL—so silky, gentle, with a gentle illuminating pigment." — Cassandra

"It’s amazing, it brightens your skin and glows. It’s like a makeup for me now and an alternative for foundation!" — Aleen

"This sunscreen is really lightweight while being non-sticky and does not leave behind a white sheen. I find this lotion is doing a great job of protecting my kids' skin from sunburn!" — Ramya

"Damn it’s fantastic. I love the tinge of white cast it gives. Cancels out any redness. It works. Smells great. No breakouts. My skin is loving it." — Stephanie

"Love this! I don't find it leaves that much of a white cast. It is an oil-based product which I love and just makes my skin glow. Beautiful." — Jessica Dupuis

"I typically hate sunscreen because it leaves this oily, sticky, heavy residue behind, this sunscreen does not!" — Sahar

"Really like this sunscreen. It goes on easily and doesn't leave a white cast and has a pleasant smell. Will be purchasing again!" — Emily

"I LOVE this product!! it smells amazing, and it personally doesn't leave a cast on me. Amazing for body sunscreen too. It’s like a luxury experience every time." — Hannah

Are there other sun care options?
Yes! You always have wonderful options for sun harmonization. You can, of course, use either of our Everybody Loves the Sunshine, or simply seek shade, which offers abundant infrared benefits. Wearing a brimmed hat or light, protective clothing also provides portable shade. Nadine also offers a wealth of information, including a chapter dedicated to the skin’s relationship to the sun in Renegade Beauty. There are also many articles and podcast interviews dedicated to how to enjoy the sunshine and have it beautifully benefit your skin.

Sun Harmonizing Interviews: Safe Sunlight for Skin
Longevity - Nathalie Niddam - Episode #103: Safe Sunscreen, Circadian Rhythm, and Do We Actually Age with Sun?
Biohacker Babes - How Sunlight Can Change Your Health, For the Better with Nadine Artemis l Debunking Sunscreen, Vitamin D, Melatonin & More
Dr. Pedram Shojai - From Sun Fear to Sun Healing: Reclaiming Our Natural Relationship with Light
Ari Whitten - Sunlight Secrets | Debunking Skincare Myths with Nadine Artemis

THE SOLAR RHYTHM: SATURATED AND SYNCOPATED
Sun-harmonizing is the innate knowledge and scientific understanding that our biology requires sunlight to thrive. Moving beyond the "block and hide" mentality of the last century, it provides a roadmap for wise interaction with life-giving solar rays.

It is about being replete inside with juicy amounts of the sunshine vitamin and saturating the skin in sun-stable lipids and replenishing pigments that allow one to receive the sun’s blessing without depletion. Life syncopated to the sun is sundialled to sunrises and sunsets, to bright days and dark nights. From the "OG Red Light mask" of early morning sun gazing that prepares your cells, to the peak violet hours where you want to take in some full-spectrum sunbeams, this is the light our skin, cells, and every pore were designed for.

By syncing to circadian rhythms, aligning internal micronutrient levels, and with Everybody Loves the Sunshine by your side, you can let the sun shine in. Turn to the light, nourish melanin, and stay on the sunny side.

Satiated. Saturated. Sun-Syncopated.