As summer winds down and the days become noticeably shorter, try to squeeze a little extra warmth and sunshine into your day.

When I created the Summer Balm Collection (available year round!), I toyed with the idea of creating a natural sunscreen. There are many natural oils, butters, and oxides that contain a natural SPF. However, to market a product as such, it must go through rigorous testing by the FDA as sun protectant is considered a drug. I did not wish to go through that, particularly because there is a probable chance of such products being tested on animals.

Sun Body Balm is NOT a sunscreen. It is NOT a sunblock. While it is true that it has many ingredients (such as carrot seed oil, coconut oil, and sea buckthorn oil, as well as zinc oxide) that can be used as sunblock, I have absolutely no idea what its specific SPF would be, and my recipe is staying a secret! What it is is a rich and moisturizing body balm, scented with fresh sweet jasmine, perfect for smoothing and prepping your skin for sunny summertime fun!

Next week, we’ll look at the local treat that was the inspiration for Birch Beer Lip & Cheek Tint, as well as its less-than-encouraging beginnings.