Sustainable Living

Sustainable living reduces use of our Earth’s natural resources and leaves our planet just a little better off for future generations. Following these simple steps, and sharing them with friends, helps make our planet a cleaner, healthier place.

1. Use LED light bulbs. They last longer and are much less expensive to use than wasteful incandescent bulbs.

2. Conserve energy by turning off lights and unplugging unused electronics and chargers.

3. Buy eco-friendly electronics and appliances. They save money and reduce energy use.

4. Microwaves use much less energy than conventional ovens.

5. Grow your own vegetables. You’ll save money, reduce your carbon footprint, and eat healthier while enjoying sunshine and fresh air.

6. Planting native species of trees improves air quality and reduces soil erosion.

7. Be picky with skincare. Avoid products with microbeads and toxic chemicals. Read labels and know what you’re putting on your skin, in your body, and out into your world.

8. Eat less red meat. It reduces your carbon footprint and helps improve overall health.

9. Look for ways to reduce plastic use. Shop with canvas bags, stop buying bottled water, and buy loose fruits and vegetables.

10. If something breaks or wears out, try fixing or refurbing it before throwing it away. YouTube offers loads of instructions to repair almost anything. You’ll save money and keep it out of a landfill.

11. Buy eco-friendly cleaning products. Read labels – most contain toxic ingredients. Green products often clean just as well and are much less harmful.

12. Recycle everything you can. Paper, plastic, aluminum cans and even batteries and cell phones. Research local options so you send only those items your recycling system can process efficiently.

13. Volunteer at beach cleanups and pick up trash any time you go. Every single item collected keeps the ocean just a bit cleaner.

14. Replace plastic sandwich bags with reusable lunch boxes.

15. Reduce waste by bringing a reusable coffee mug to your favorite coffee place.

16. Avoid plastic bags and Styrofoam. Bring your own reusable lunch boxes for restaurant leftovers.

17. Buy sustainable clothing made from fabric created with recycled materials.

18. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or when shaving or washing hands.

19. Only run the dishwasher and laundry when you have a full load.

20. Drink filtered tap water from a reusable water bottle — stop using single-use plastic bottles.

21. Ditch the stirrer. Pour cream and sugar in first then pour coffee over the top.

22. Read sunscreen labels. Be choosy and buy clean sunscreen that only contains ingredients you can pronounce.

23. Read skincare labels. Be choosy and buy skincare that only contains toxin free ingredients you recognize.

24. Wrap presents in newspaper, magazines, brown paper or cloth bags.

25. Reduce greenhouse gasses by buying food at farmers’ markets and farm-to-table growers.

26. Instead of buying new sporting equipment, try Craigslist or a consignment store first.

27. Return wire hangers to the dry cleaner to be reused.

28. Skip the paper and pay bills online. Get off junk mailing lists at dmachoice.org.

29. Grab less napkins at restaurants.

30. Turning off the water to brush teeth saves almost 3,000 gallons per year, which saves about $500 in water bills.

Conclusion

None of these actions are burdensome. Each requires just a small change in lifestyle, but together, they make a meaningful difference to our world. You can only do what you can do, but don’t let anyone tell you it doesn’t matter. It does.

Know Your Sunscreen. Trust Your Sunscreen.

Next time you grab for your sunscreen, flip it over and actually read the ingredients, including the “inactive” ones. Do you know what all of them are and what they’re doing? We’re dedicated to using only the healthiest, safest, most effective ingredients in our sunscreens, and we want everyone to know what those good ingredients are, regardless of whether they use our products or not. Their skin is worth it.

If you know someone who might still be buying sunscreen with shady ingredients, please share the above info with them. It could have a serious impact on their life – in the sun, and out. Thanks for spreading the word to the ones you care about, and here’s to thriving in the sun.