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Drinking our HEALING TEAS can have both short-term and long-term health benefits.  Here at The Sistahood AU we stock 3 herbal teas and 3 standard teas. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HERBAL AND STANDARD TEA Herbal teas or tisanes, are entirely caffeine free and are not made using any leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Instead, these herbal blends are made using spices, flowers and leaves of a variety of other plants including fruits and herbs.  Our herbal tea range includes: Heal, Crystal and Zzz. Our caffeinated range includes: Balance, Spiced and Le Grey.  Our teas can be consumed both hot and cold and...

Written by threeonawire.com in conjunction with Alex Cerball. SELF-CARE SUNDAY I don’t know if you’ve heard of this term before?  But it’s a definite THING! “Self-care Sunday” Google it, Instagram it, FB it, Tweet it. It’s EVERYWHERE! How come I had never heard of IT before? Who thought of it? And why wasn’t I on board this luxury train long before now? WHAT EXACTLY DOES SELF-CARE MEAN? Okay! So the pic above is NOT exactly how we recommend prepping for self-care every Sunday, but IT IS a little bit funny! While you may choose to have a glass or two to relax...

Written by threeonawire.com

Today, I am writing about the sunscreen that I have been using for the past year. 

While it may seem a bit random to be blogging about a sunscreen, those that know me well, will know that I am a tireless advocate for affordable, yet outstanding skincare products. 

And the most important step in any skincare regimen is, most definitely, skin protection in the form of sunscreen.

I wear it rain, hail or shine in our increasingly tropical climate here in Queensland.

I am always interested in trying new and better formulas, and am particularly keen on Physical (or Mineral) formulas, as they offer broad-spectrum protection, are more gentle on sensitive skin types and also better for our reefs and oceans. They also don’t contain harmful hormone-blocking chemicals.

The ingredients in them are so much healthier for our skin and bodies, as they are naturally found in the earth.

PHYSICAL SUNSCREENS: HOW THEY WORK

Mineral or Physical based sunscreens use physical blockers that sit on top of the surface of the skin to reflect the rays of the sun. This form of protection acts as a mirror on the skin. Both the sun’s UVA and UVB rays are reflected away from the skin rather than being absorbed into it.

CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS: HOW THEY WORK

My main concern with the Chemical sunscreen formulations is the dangers of the chemicals they contain. Chemical sunscreens use chemical UV filters to protect the skin from burning, however, they absorb the suns ultraviolet rays into the skin rather than reflect them as mineral/physical formulations do. 

As these ingredients are absorbed into the skin, they can also be found in the bloodstream. It is well known in research circles, that many of these chemicals damage living cells.

One such chemical 'Oxybenzone’ is known to damage living coral and destroys the oceanic environment. 

One can only wonder what this does when absorbed into the human body if it has the power to bleach coral!

As well as Oxybenzone, chemical-based sunscreens contain such harmful chemicals as Avobenzone, Octocrylene, Homosalate, Oxitonate and Octisalate. Many of these are known to react to people with sensitive skin (which I can personally attest to).

It’s important to know that chemical sunscreens make up around 70% of listed sunscreens on the market. So, to find a mineral blocker that works effectively to provide sun protection and is affordable is great.

However, my main gripe with the mineral/physical formulations has always been that the active ingredients ie, those that protect the skin from the sun (zinc and titanium oxide) tend to leave an ugly, ‘white cast’ (think thick, gluggy, white zinc). While that’s OK at the beach, it’s not a great ‘everyday’ look for work. While mineral  formulas have become more refined over the years, I could never really find the perfect concoction that met ALL my 'picky' requirements. 

Also, I have found them in the past to be sticky or oily on top of the skin, which makes it difficult to layer makeup over if wearing on the face and uncomfortable in the hot weather as we are ‘sticky’ enough in our hot climate without adding an oily mess that drips into the eyes constantly and stings to high heaven.

Enter SEAGULL MILK.

I came across this formula at a trade fair here in Brisbane over a year ago and I am so thankful I did. It meets all of my needs and ticks all the health boxes for both body and environment, particularly at my age (I am 52).

Seagull Milk is made here in Queensland in small batches. It is a family-owned small business that deserves so much credit.

It is specifically formulated to provide the highest quality broad-spectrum protection. It will NOT leave the skin feeling slippery, oily or sticky as it dries matte on the skin and you cannot feel it on after a few minutes of wearing. It does not move on the face, so it does not sting the eyes and most importantly, it does not contain any nasties. It is formulated for the most sensitive skin-types (Exezema, psoriasis etc...). It also allows my makeup to layer and sit perfectly over top and does not interfere with other formulations. Oh, and it smells great too!

Plus, for every tube sold, part proceeds are donated to an ocean plastic pollution company called ‘Take3’. Win, win all round!

Now, I must give credit to the young man I met that day. Here is a little of his story and the reason he created Seagull Milk.

Being part of a family where multiple members had been affected by skin cancer, Josh Apitz,  young as he was, knew all too well the importance of sun safety. However, he wasn’t able to find a sunscreen that didn’t sting his eyes or leave a sticky, gross and slippery feeling after he’d applied it. 

Growing up on the Gold Coast, Josh was a surfer, but any sunscreen he applied became dangerously slippery which negatively impacted his surfing performance, so being young and infallible - as the teenagers are, he stopped wearing it altogether.

Realising that this was a very risky predicament to be in given his family history and growing up on ‘The Coast,’ at age15 Josh embarked on a mission to create a solution to his dilemma.

It became a rewarding journey and a passion to try and help others, who like him no longer wore sunscreen for similar reasons.

In 2018, at just age 16, Josh had the solution ready for market. A new and innovative nonslip formula called Seagull Milk was born.

Little did he know, that menopausal women everywhere would be on their knees, thanking him for developing such a high standing product that does not chemically block our dwindling hormones and meets all our requirements.

I highly recommend this outstanding formula. In fact, I love it so much, that we have stocked it in our online store - www.thesistahoodau.com

It retails for $24.99. If you give it a go,  you will not be disappointed!

Seagull Milk is a Non-slip, Non-Greasy, Mineral formulation which is Reef Safe, Vegan, Broad Spectrum, SPF 50+, Water Resistant, suitable for Sensitive skin and all ages, Australian owned and made with premium ingredients brought to you by a Gold Coast Teenager.

You need to try it to believe it's actually a sunscreen - "it's a natural feeling" 

Oh, & No Seagulls are milked in the making of the sunscreen either!