Hope you are all enjoying the summer and getting in some fun at the beach and in the sun. Of course I also hope you are wearing sunscreen. I'm sure you are because you all are frequent readers of our suncare smarts education series! Lately a number of people have asked me how sunscreens work and specifically the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreens. I'm here to answer this question for you all and add to our suncare smarts series... [More]

There is a whole online DIY movement these days. I think in part due to the advent and popularity of great sites like Pinterest and Etsy. I'm a fan of this movement as it can create some really authentic products in our over-marketed environment. However I believe there are limits especially when it comes to sunscreen. I know you might be thinking, well that's convenient, you own a suncare company - but it's not about convenience - it's about safety and effectiveness. All sunscreens are actually a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated over the counter drug with multiple testing requirements. Additionally there are real dangers with creating your own sunblock. [More]

We all want a miracle drug that can completely reverse the signs of aging and make our skin look 10 years younger. And there are a lot of beauty and cosmetic products out there that market to that desire. But we've all heard the line that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. This week in our Ingredient Truths series I'm going to give some real talk about how these companies maybe making you over-pay for many false promises and how the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is getting involved. [More]

With Memorial Day around the corner and our great sale (ok I had to plug it) the official start of summer is here. Summer means warm weather, vacation, beaches and lots of sunshine. Of course at Block Island Organics summer also means sunblock (really it's year-round for us) and playing safe and smart in the sun. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention seems to agree. They've designated Friday, May 22nd as "Don't Fry Day" to encourage sun safety awareness as we head into summer. [More]

It's Earth Day today, April 22nd, 2015. Today is also the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. At Block Island Organics we are passionate about the outdoors so we care about the state of our environment. So in celebration we'd like to highlight some history, fun news and special offers around this important day. Additionally, we have our own special offer for Earth Day - use the code "earthday2015" from April 22-28th, 2015 to save 20% on our new Purifying Facial Cleanser and Revitalizing Night Cream. [More]

Ok I'm going to answer part of the question I pose in our title upfront. It's probably going to be difficult to avoid phthalates all together. Nevertheless there are ways to reduce your exposure to phthalates and we can help you with tips to do so. We want to present you with information on this topic so that you can make informed decisions. Finally we want to note that here at Block Island Organics our products do not contain phthalates. [More]

Back in November Congress passed the Sunscreen Innovation Act. Its aim is to speed up the approval process for new sunscreen ingredients. In particular, it's been 25 years since any new ingredient was approved and eight ingredients have been waiting over 12 years for approval. Many of these eight ingredients are already in use in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Slam dunk for these new sunblock ingredients, right? [More]

A few weeks ago we began our "Ingredient Truths" series and talked about parabens. In my post on parabens I mentioned that parabens could be hidden within the ingredient "fragrance" (aka "parfum"). This week I wanted to provide more information on this ingredient for you - what is Fragrance, should you be concerned and how do you look out for it. [More]

We believe ingredients matter at Block Island Organics and we want to be open and honest about what goes into our products. We also believe in educating consumers about suncare, sun protection and healthy living in general. As part of our commitment to building a safe brand that you can trust we'll be doing an on-going series on ingredients. We'll break down what these ingredients do, what they mean for you and any concerns. This week we'll be talking about parabens. [More]

Spray sunscreens are popular these days. Just spray it on and go, right? Well not so fast says Consumer Reports. This advice actually echoes what other organizations and people like dermatologists, the Environmental Working Group and even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say. It also dovetails with our article from a few weeks ago "What Sunscreens to Avoid: Sprays and Powders". [More]