We use Alumina, not to be confused with Aluminum Chloride, which is often used in deodorants, cans, cookware, etc. 

Alumina is a natural inert mineral. It is a constituent of many rocks and soils and is the third most abundant element on earth making up close to 8% of the earth’s crust. Alumina is naturally found in fruits and vegetables because plants absorb it from the soil. It is also naturally found in small amounts in ground water.It has been rated by the Environmental Working Group as ‘Good’ with a score of ‘2’, which means minimal risk to humans or the environment.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700309/ALUMINA/

Alumina or aluminum oxide, its used to naturally enhance water resistance, reduce oiliness and increase transparency onto the skin. It is used in our Mineral Sunscreen SPF 20 for Face and Body and Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 for Body.

Most chemical sunscreens on the market expire after only 1 year. Stream2Sea mineral-based sunscreen has a shelf life of 3 years!

Where do you find the the expiration date? Stream2Sea’s sunscreen is regulated by the FDA and is considered an OTC (over-the-counter) drug. Therefore, we have a different method of lot coding and the lot number is considered the expiration date. It has nothing to do with when it is manufactured, as seen in the example image.

For the best sun protection, use Stream2Sea sunscreen before the stated expiration date and store it in a cool, dark place.

 

Mineral sunscreens are naturally whitening and may discolor dark clothing or gear.  It will easily wash out with soap and water in most cases, and using an enzyme-based stain remover will help.  For gear, a little soap and water plus a scrub brush will usually remove any staining or whitening.

Our tinted sunscreens use iron oxides for color, and like most mineral make-ups or other sunscreens, they can discolor clothing or towels.  The best way we have found to remove mineral stains is to pre-treat with a stain remover, citric acid or lemon juice and let sit overnight before washing in the hottest water your garment can safely handle, and then air dry.

Approved sunscreen ingredients come in two forms, mineral and chemical filters. Each works differently to protect your skin from UV rays. The chemical sunscreens like methoxycinnamate, oxybenzone, avobenzone and the like work by absorbing into your skin and absorbing the UV rays. Besides the likelihood of irritating skin and the toxicity that has been associated with many of the chemical sunscreens, we simply don’t like the idea of putting something on your body to absorb something that we don’t want on or in our bodies. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sit on top of your skin and work by reflecting and scattering the UV light away from the skin… Make sense?

Yes, they do! All of our products are made with natural ingredients that do not harm or bleach coral.

For those who aren’t aware, Hawaii has passed a law that prohibits the sale of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, two chemicals that harm coral, starting in 2021. Our sunscreens and other products do not contain these chemicals.

YES! All our sunscreens exceed the FDA’s requirements for broad-spectrum claims, offering protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Unless your sunscreen is broad spectrum, it may only protect you from the UVB rays that cause sunburn. The problem is that the UVA rays penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin – causing wrinkles and premature aging, as well as damage at the cellular level.

UVA1 light is in the range 340 – 400 mm; UVA 2 light is in the range of 320 – 340 nm.

A sunscreen with a critical wavelength over 370nm is considered by the FDA to provide excellent UVA protection. Stream2Sea sunscreens have critical wavelengths ranging from 380nm to 385nm, offering excellent broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays!

When you chose a sunscreen labeled BROAD-SPECTRUM, you are purchasing a product that has been tested by a third-party, FDA-regulated laboratory. A sunscreen needs to reflect (mineral) or absorb (chemical) at least 90% of the UV rays to be called broad spectrum. Although some suppliers have said that titanium dioxide does not offer broad-spectrum protection, all of our sunscreens exceed the FDA’s requirements.

Sunscreens with very high SPFs offer only marginally better UVB protection (the rays that cause sunburn) than lower SPFs, yet consumers often believe they are getting double the protection. It would be logical to think that an SPF 30 would be twice as good as a 15, but that’s not how the ratings work. For example, an SPF 15 will block about 93% of the UVB rays, an SPF 30 will block about 97% and an SPF 50 will block about 98%. Moving beyond, the differences in protection are so minute yet give the users such a false sense of security that it may tempt people to stay in the sun longer than they should, while applying too little sunscreen. Your skin may be protected from sunburn, but could leave yourself exposed to the UVA rays that cause other kinds of skin and cellular damage. Our preference is to offer sunscreens that will feel good on your skin and encourage you to reapply every 80 minutes or after a good swim.The FDA has also called for a ban on sunscreens stating an SPF greater than 50, calling them misleading, but this has not yet been enforced. We hope to see this as a future regulation.

The main cause of sunscreen failure is not using enough product and not reapplying often enough. On the day of your fun in the sun, slop it on. Don’t forget to reapply often. The FDA recommends at least every 2 hours, more often if playing in the water or sweating a lot.

The answer to both these questions is YES, however getting a tan will be safer and more gradual. Remember that a tan is the body’s response to injury from UV rays. Darker and tanned skin has a higher melanin content which reduces the likelihood of burning, but it is still at risk for skin cancer. Those with darker skin especially need to use caution because skin cancer is less visible and often not diagnosed until it’s really bad. Our recommendation? If you are white, black, tan, pale, blue or purple — and playing or working in the sun, please use a broad-spectrum sunscreen.

The FDA no longer allows the use of the term “waterproof” when labeling sunscreens.  In 2011, the FDA changed the regulations regarding how sunscreens could be labeled.  Water-proof, Sweat-proof and sunblock were all removed from (compliant) labels, as the FDA determined these were misleading claims.  Some sunscreens are certainly more sweat and water resistant than others, but NONE are water proof!

Under the new regulations, sunscreens must now pass third party testing showing how long the consumer can expect the SPF protection to hold up while swimming or sweating.

How is this done?

Human volunteers apply the sunscreen, then after its dry, they are immersed in comfortable agitated water for 20 minutes.  They come out of the water for 20 minutes, then repeat for a total of 40 minutes of water immersion. The SPF is then measured AFTER the water immersion. This is the SPF that can then be printed on the bottle of the sunscreen that claims 40 minutes of water resistance. Very resistant tests would repeat until a total of 80 minutes immersion is reached..

All of our biodegradable sunscreens, including our lip balm, exceed the FDA’s rating for 80-minute water resistance. When you are ready to remove our reef safe sunscreens, you will literally need to wash them off with soap and water. Another advantage to that enhanced water resistance is that if you sweat or swim, they won’t run into your eyes or rinse off in the water. Even so, you should reapply every 80 minutes if you are sweating or swimming, or every two hours.

The statement “white is the new green” is gaining in popularity with folks who want to protect themselves and the environment. Minerals look pretty much like chalk. When mixed into a lovely formula of antioxidants like you find in Stream2Sea, and when applied correctly, it can go on very nicely with minimal sheen. If it really bothers you, you want it to blend better, we have two other options for you. We have a terrific tinted version in both spf 20 and spf 30 and a new Eco-safe Zinc Everday Sunscreen in an spf 45.

So why the white sheen? Minerals sit on top of your skin to reflect the sun away. The chemical sunscreens go into your skin and are later found in your bloodstream and within 30 minutes you can detect elevated levels of estrogen and endocrine disrupters. If a mineral is too clear, I would suspect nano particles which harm the environment. Protect yourself, your family, and your environment, choose Stream2Sea, the only brand of mineral sunscreen on the planet that has been tested and proven safe for humans, fish and coral larvae.