This post is not sponsored by any of the products, brands, or websites mentioned. We just love sharing our favorite finds with you!
Welcome back for part two of our Adventure Gift Guide for the 2020 present-wrapping season, including faves from your MW Ambassadors for $25 and under. Grab your favorite chunky knit blanket with a side of eggnog – this is gonna be a good one!
The Ten Essentials
As a refresher, we’re running through our gift guide with a 10 Essentials theme. The 10 Essentials ensure that we're prepared for emergency situations in the outdoors, so we can have the safest and most fun outdoor adventures! To recap, the 10 Essential systems are:
Navigation
Headlamp
Sun Protection
First Aid
Knife
Fire
Shelter
Extra Food
Extra Water
Extra Clothes
Yesterday we covered Navigation and Headlamp, and now we’re heading on to Sun Protection, plus some other fun skincare bonuses! Sun Protection includes a broad spectrum, get it ;) including eye protection, skin protection, and more. Today we’re focusing on a few of our skin-protecting faves.
Skincare for the Toughest – Sun Protection
Stick with us for a minute, this info is so important to take in and we promise we’ll reward ya with the goods at the end!
From the tropical beaches of Guam and blistering deserts of west Texas, to the chilly peaks of Colorado and Washington, keep your skin protected from the sun! Sun protection is one of the simplest Essentials, yet it’s also one that most of us still forget once in a while. If you’ve never finished a hike sunburned, you’re lying.
When it’s hot and sunny outside, sunscreen’s usually at the top of our packlist. But remember that you still need sun protection when it’s overcast, cold, or your high up bagging peaks. From cloud and water reflection, to the sun’s intensity at high elevations, don’t make the rookie mistake of leaving your sunscreen at home.
If you’ve been grabbing just any old sunscreen off the shelf, STOP! Did you know that most sunscreens use ingredients that aren’t very good for our bodies or the places we adventure in? Instead of picking up the one that smells best or rubs on easiest, look for sunscreens that list zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the primary active ingredients. Checking the ingredients is SUPER important, as many products may claim to be “reef-safe” or “eco-friendly,” but still contain harmful ingredients.
Now don’t go tossing all your old evil sunscreens in the trash, but as you use them up, restock with products that are better for your family and the wild places you love! To make it a little easier for ya, check out one of our favorite brands, the Sun Bum Mineral Line! Not to be confused with their full product inventory, the Mineral Line is specifically made with a zinc-based formula.
If you don’t know what sunburned lips feel like, don’t bother finding out, trust us. As cheap a stocking stuffer as a good candy bar, grab your adventure buddy a stick of Sun Bum Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip Balm, $4.
For the rest of your beautiful face (yeah dudes we’re probably just humoring a few of you), pick up either a Sunscreen Face Stick SPF 50, $12, or a pack-sized tube of Sunscreen Face Lotion SPF 30, $18.
Movin’ on down, if you’re getting your tan on or bundled head to toe, you’ll need to protect any other exposed skin. Whether that means your hands peeking out of a down jacket or everything that swimsuit doesn’t hide, Sun Bum’s got ya covered! If you prefer lotions, grab the Mineral Sunscreen Lotion in SPF 30 or SPF 50, $15. If spray is your kinda thing, you can get that too in SPF 30 or SPF 50, $18.
PS, we’ve found that zinc-based spray is super hard to find, so don’t sleep on this one y’all!
More Skincare Goodies
We cannot stress enough how vital bug control is. If you’ve ever plopped down for a mid-hike snack only to drown in a swarm of mosquitoes, you know. If you’re sensitive to Deet or you don’t like the idea of putting something so strong on yourself, your kiddos, or your trail pups, we got you! Check out this Wondercide Eco-Friendly, Deet-Free lineup. From Insect Repellent, $24 that’s safe for the whole family, to a full line of pet and home products like the Flea and Tick Prevention Spray, $13, Wondercide’s got you covered. Their products come in a variety of scents too, like lemongrass, peppermint, cedarwood, and rosemary!
Anyone else get dry hands both out at the crag AND at home? Keep the cracks in the rock wall, not on your hands, and check out climbOn!’s skincare line! Made with beeswax, plant-based, and food-grade ingredients, climbOn! soothes and moisturizes adventurous skin. Pick up a tube of All Purpose Cream, $15 or a Lotion Bar, $11 for your favorite weekend warrior. PS, climbOn! is perfect and safe for your pup's paws too!
After a long day on trail or weekend at camp, a little pampering can go a long way. If you’ve ever pulled the boots off your feet and thought “Dang that’s bad,” or thought that of your significant other ;) do yourself a favor and get a little of everything from Burt’s Bees Skincare Line. Without listing every single amazing product, start with a lip balm stick or tin, $4 and a hand salve or Res-Q ointment, $10. Burt’s Bees products are made with beexwax, herbs, and botanical oils that’ll soothe and hydrate your hardworking hands, feet, and more. Even better, they’ve got a wide range of gift sets for the holidays too, like Burt’s Bees Essentials, $13 that includes cleansing cream, hand salve, body lotion, lip balm, and foot cream.
Head back tomorrow for Part 3, where we’re simplifying the wild world of outdoor First Aid, and sharing some of our favorite medical kits that are perfect for your outdoor-loving friend or family!
PS: Did you know that your online shopping can also support rad nonprofit organizations like Military Wild? If you're stocking up for that holiday feast or ordering gifts for family and friends, check out AmazonSmile! When you shop through AmazonSmile, 0.5% of your purchase is donated to a registered charity of your choice, at no extra cost to you.
Be sure to shop through the AmazonSmile site rather than the traditional Amazon site. At login or checkout, search for and select Military Wild (or a number of other incredible organizations) to receive your donation. We're so thankful to be a part of this military family and it brings us so much joy to continue supporting you through this wild ride with the help of donations!