I’ve talked about this a few times both here on the blog and Instagram - as much as I love summer, it is a giant pain-in-the-ass for me. You see, I’m allergic to the sun. I have Polymorphic Light Eruption, which is a completely non-serious but VERY annoying condition, where my body thinks it is being attacked by the sun and my skin erupts in painful, itchy hives that can last up to 10 days. It’s not contagious or an indicator of skin cancer or anything like that, it doesn’t leave scars — it’s just itchy, and painful, and uncomfortable and ugly.

As a result, I HAVE to wear sunscreen every single day - it is absolutely a non-negotiable. And because my skin is so sensitive, I can only wear mineral sunscreens - the ones with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.

Turns out, those sunscreens are actually better for you and the environment since they don’t have the toxic materials of the chemical sunscreens. In today’s blog post, Sara Marino, who created the Facebook Group Tree Hugger in Heels, joins us to talk about 5 tips to consider when buying sunscreen.

Here are her top 5 tips for choosing sunscreen that will keep you safe and protected without potentially compromising heath.

1. Choose a physical blocker: Look for non-Nano Zinc. Avoid ingredients that end in “-enzone” like Avobenzone (skin irritant) and Oxybenzone. In some lab test, Oxybenzone has been shown to mimic estrogen. Another one of those hormone disrupting ingredients we are slathering on our skin.

2. No Nano- Particles: Nano-particles are molecules tiny enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream and we don’t want that. Look for Non-Nano Zinc.

3. Broad spectrum protection: You need UVA/UVB. UVB rays are the sun’s burning rays. UVA are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer.

4. Be cautious with sprays: There are some great safer sprays out there (two mentioned below) . Sprays tend to rate higher on EWG. The reason is the concern of inhalation. Regardless of how safe the formulation is, you shouldn’t breathe it in. I know we’ve all see the parents chasing their kids with sunscreen only to engulf them in a dense cloud of sunscreen once they catch them. Don’t be this person! And don’t forget you do need to rub it in, not just a wild spray and hope it covered.

5. Avoid unnecessary fragrance: check the label. There may be a scent from the ingredients but not the word “Fragrance” listed. Scent is different than fragrance.

Personally, I use Tatcha’s Silken Pore Perfecting Suncreen on my face - it is not inexpensive, but is the only one that I’ve found that doesn’t go on greasy and doesn’t make my skin break out from daily use. I’m also a fan of All Good sunscreen and Bare Republic, both available at Target. I’ve also heard a lot of great things about Beauty Counter’s sunscreen products, but I haven’t used them myself yet.