Loving Naturals Sunscreen and Bug Repellent Review and GIVEAWAY!!

With the summer in full swing the one thing we are reaching for over and over again is our sun protection. Melanoma is pretty common in my family so I take sun protection very seriously for myself and especially my little guys. But these days there is so much news about the chemicals that are running through conventional sunblock and even some ingredients found in natural sunblock, it can be just as scary to slather the kids up with lotion. The EWG has a great site to check up on your sunblock to see if it is safe and effective, but be warned, it is extensive which is both good and daunting/overwhelming.
After doing my own research I decided I wanted to try Loving Naturals and their Adorable Baby sun protection and they were kind enough to offer some products for us to try AND giveaway! Are you excited yet?

Here is what the EWG has to say about Loving Naturals;

OVERALL SCORE
UVB PROTECTION (SPF)	GOOD
UVA PROTECTION	EXCELLENT
UVA/UVB BALANCE	GOOD
SUNSCREEN STABILITY	EXCELLENT
HEALTH CONCERN	LOW
OTHER CONCERNS	-

This was the same for all of their sun protection. As far as the ingredients; the list is short, and met every one of my requirments, in fact it was the only one I found that had non-nano zinc and no vitamin A. This is as good as it gets as far as purity and safety. Check for yourself at EWG 2012 Skin Deep .

The Loving Naturals Safe and Natural Promise:

"You can be assured, we will earnestly research every ingredient we use, use the most safe, natural and organic ingredients available and always disclose every single ingredient."

And the reason behind the promise and the development of their products- because they too were frightened by what they were putting on their children and wanted something better. Yup, I can totally relate. The other selling points for me are their commitments, which are right on their website, to use the best ingredients, to honestly disclose all ingredients, to be earth friendly and cruelty free, they have many vegan options and their commitment to their customers.

So what did I think of the products? Here's my breakdown of each below.

Loving Naturals Clear Body SPF 30+ and Loving Naturals Clear Face SPF 30+
The scent is very light and the texture of both the face and body sunscreen is nice and easy to apply. There is a slight 'extra layer' feel to it but, it is not that uncomfortable oily or thick feel some sunscreens can have, and it disappears quickly. I also love the consistency, with some other mineral sunscreens there was a seperation and I would have to shake or stir before applying, not with this- it's a nice smooth lotion. A little goes a long way, it was truely clear (no white streaks or skin) and we all avoided sunburn even though it has been brutally hot and sunny!

Adorable Baby Sunscreen Stick SPF 30+
Good stuff. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the coverage of a stick sunscreen and will admit that putting it on my very active and mobile 9 month old was tricky- just because he was very fascinated with the stick coming at him, but this is not much different than anything within his reach. Now here's where my review veers from the norm- my four year old twisted the sublock into the cap... oh those kids! So this review is less about the stick application and more about the product. Only a bit ended up in the cap but the incident ended up compromising the stick. It's thick, probably because of the stick format and I find that if I dab dots and "connect the dots" I don't need much. My 9 month old is a fair haired ginger so obviously he fits into that 'burns easily' category and he had no burns. Smells good, feels nice and has prevented burns.
*After a few applications we were able to start using it as a stick again and it is really easy to work with.

Loving Naturals Insect Repellent
This stuff works. Awesome. We get eaten alive in my yard, which stinks because we are outdoor people by nature, seriously, if Colt is sad all we have to do is go sit in the grass. But, oh, those mosquito bites! They seem to favor Colt and me, lucky us. I love that after my research I didn't have any reservations using the spray on myself and my boys. For Colt I sprayed it on my hands and rubbed it in so he wouldn't breathe in the spray and so I wouldn't spray his eyes. No bug bites. Not one. One consideration, for me, the smell is strong at first but, it's soooooo worth not getting bug bites. My sister-in-law loved the scent so this is definitely personal preference. I have tried other natural bug repellents that had no noticeable scent but they did not keep the bugs away and the scent of Loving Naturals wears off but the repellent properties don't. I will never be without this product!

So, what's my overall opinion? I am a Loving Naturals fan. I love the products, packaging, and commitments to quality, safety and environment. I am really excited to have found a product line that meets my crazed research and standards, doesn't break out my boys sensitive skin and is backed by some nice people. I love that it's one thing that I can add to my list of products that I approve of for the boys- and that is a tough list to make!

Canon wanted to jump in this shot!

Loving Naturals can be found on Amazon, facebook, twitter, and http://www.lovingnaturals.com/. You guys get a chance to try these products too! Loving Naturals has offered all of the products that I tried for a lucky Mission Green Family reader. This is open to residents of the US and Canada. Winner must provide contact info within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.
* Loving Naturals did provide these products for me to review but in no way did that alter my opinion nor have any influence on my opinion and review.

a Rafflecopter giveaway