Summer Swaps

By Alex Parrish - achievinggreenness.com

The Climate Crisis is here. The tipping point of 1.5 degrees celsius beyond which we can’t come back from is here. So, we all need to stand up, think differently, change our behaviors and take some action.

But summer is also here! Sun’s out, fun’s out!

The long-awaited break in the sun for so

Sunscreens

many of us is now upon us. Warm sunny days and balmy relaxed evenings spent in the garden, by the beach and abroad are beckoning.

So, the team at Achieving Greenness has been looking into some simple green holiday swaps we can all make this summer to start making a difference environmentally. There are now so many fabulous eco-friendly options and alternatives to choose from, that ‘greenifying’ your summer to help look after the planet becomes a much more enjoyable challenge.

Keep reading for a few of our recommended eco-friendly sunscreens, after suns, insect repellants, and sunglasses for you to check out. Give them a try and start being greener this summer.

Plastic-free, vegan, reef-safe sunscreen that actually works used to be nigh on impossible to find but now we have a range to choose from. First up we have an offering from Sun Bum, their aluminium spray bottle is not only really easy to use and apply, especially on wriggling little ones, but only has a small plastic spray lid which they are working on removing. It smells great, is water resistant, doesn’t contain any nasties and the vitamin E it contains helps enrich your skin. This easy to use, ultra sheer/dry touch continuous spray formula will protect your skin from harmful UVA/ UVB rays while enriching your skin with Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps to neutralise free radicals, which are the main cause of premature skin aging. sunbum.com upcirclebeauty.com

Another brand we loved in our testing was Upcircle, this upcycled raspberry seed SPF 25 Mineral Sunscreen is handmade in the UK, dermatologically approved, reef-safe, natural, vegan, and has just been rated 9/10 by the Independent. It is also completely plastic-free with its aluminum lid and glass jar.

Our third sunscreen recommendation is from Coola who have an entire range of products dedicated to sun protection with either glass or recycled plastic bottles which adds to a much-needed range of eco-friendly sun care products. This SPF 30 is vegan, made from 70%+ organic ingredients, blends with your foundation or moisturiser, smells great and is dermatologically tested. plasticfreedom.co.uk