Blessing Moon reef safe sun balm!
Sustainably harvested Hawaiian Naupaka leaf and Sea Buckthorn infused Kukui Nut Oil, Cold Pressed Raspberry Seed Oil, Cold Pressed Wild Carrot Seed Oil (Queen Anne's Lace), Aloe, Non GMO Emulsifying Wax, Plumeria extract, Shea Butter, Non Nano uncoated Zinc Oxide, Arrowroot powder, Synergy Natural Preservative (Coconut derived Non GMO caprylhydroxamic acid, Non GMO glyceryl caprylate and Non GMO coconut derived glycerin)
I want to tell you a little story about the star of the show, Naupaka. I used to take my son to the beach every morning to watch the sun rise up over the ocean. We would wake up at 5am, I would strap him into the toddler seat on the bike and we would peddle down to the beach. He would wade in the water, dig sand castles and snuggle with me as the sun came up. We got to witness so many magical moments. From weddings and maternity shoots to the sky lighting pastels (or my favorite: deep reds and oranges when a storm was approaching) and so much more- every.single.morning. There was a group of old timers that met at the beach at the same spot almost every morning too. We had so many nice conversations and I appreciated their wisdom. One morning, the Uncle I talked to most, started telling me about Naupaka. Now, this plant is everywhere and I've seen it all my life and never thought much about it -except that it made a great hiding spot when I was a kid (and an even better hiding spot as a teenager partying at the beach )- and then eventually as an adult learning about its role at providing native birds a home. Anyways, he started telling me about the berries and how much relief they give to man-o-war stings. It made so much sense, the remedy is always close by. Then he told me about how the leaves were used by the ancient Hawaiians as sun protection. Intrigued and in awe, I went home and dug deeper in my studies and did some experimenting and was so excited by the results! How was such an amazing plant being overlooked by so many?! That's how I learned of Naupaka, and I owe it all to the wise Kanaka on the beach
There's a beautiful legend of Naupaka. If you've ever seen the flowers you'll notice that the Beach Naupaka actually look like half flowers. The Mountain Naupaka also has half flowers, but on the opposite side. They come together to make a whole.
"It is said that two lovers, greatly devoted to each other, came to the attention of the Goddess Pele who had found out that the young man appeared to him as a stranger. But no matter what Pele did the lovers had always remained devoted to each other. Angered, Pele chased the young man into the mountains, throwing molten lava at him. Pele's sisters witnessed this and to save the young man from a certain death they changed him into the mountain Naupaka. Pele immediately went after the young woman and chased her towards the sea - but again Pele's sisters stepped in and changed the young lover into beach Naupaka. It is said that if the mountain Naupaka and beach Naupaka flowers are reunited, the two young lovers will be together again"
While I cant technically give this sunscreen an SPF as it hasn't been tested (very expensive, way above my small businesses capabilities) I can list the SPF for the individual ingredients that have been tested (like carrot seed oil ect) though they all have different UVA and UVB protection, so if you'd like to know about one of the ingredients, feel free to ask! Every single ingredient I've included is beneficial in one way or another at providing sun protection and nourishing the skin. Every Single Ingredient is Non GMO and Organic or sustainably foraged by my loved ones.
I hope you enjoy this sunscreen as much as we do. It's made with love and consideration for every detail. As with all Summer time fun, while these ingredients have shown to be the most effective and safest sun protection, taking breaks in the shade and wearing proper clothing is just as important. So remember- take breaks, hydrate and have fun this Summer!
