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28 Summertime Problem-Solving Products You’ll Probably Wish You’d Known About Sooner
2. An insect repellant made with picaridin instead of DEET, which means a) you won’t smell terrible (it’s unscented) and b) you can worry less about SO many bugs, including mosquitos, ticks, biting flies, stable flies, black flies, gnats, chiggers, and sand flies. Sawyer You can get it in both lotion and spray forms; the…
2.
An insect repellant made with picaridin instead of DEET, which means a) you won’t smell terrible (it’s unscented) and b) you can worry less about SO many bugs, including mosquitos, ticks, biting flies, stable flies, black flies, gnats, chiggers, and sand flies.
Sawyer
You can get it in both lotion and spray forms; the lotion lasts the longest (up to 14 hours against mosquitos and ticks) but the spray’s easy to apply on clothes (and lasts up to 12 hours against mosquitos and ticks). I think it’s not technically quite as effective as DEET against mosquitos, but if you hate the smell and texture of the stuff, this is a great alternative.
Promising review: “This is the absolute best bug repellent out there. My four year old–son is severely allergic to mosquito bites. When he does get bit, they swell to the size of a half dollar, get hard and hot and often turn into a staph infection. Every summer he was getting antibiotic prescriptions and I was starting to get seriously worried. We tried so many bug sprays but they just didn’t work. My sweet baby is just irresistible. I took him to an allergist and he recommended Sawyer Picaridin. I have been so happy with this bug repellent. Since using this bug spray, we haven’t had to deal with a single bug bite and no more antibiotics!!” —Sarah R.
Get it on Amazon: the lotion for $8.95+ and the spray for $8.25+ (both available in multiple sizes, and the spray’s available as either a pump or an aerosol).
5.
The Guppyfriend Washing Bag, which both protects your swimsuits in the washer — you’ve gotta get that chlorine and sunscreen out somehow — and catches those tiny plastic microfibers that your suit’s synthetic fabric releases anytime it’s washed so they don’t add to the pollution of the planet’s rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Reformation, REI
Of course it’s also great for ANYTHING made from synthetic fabrics, not just swimsuits! It can totally be washed along with a bigger load of laundry; however, it’s NOT dryer safe. (Which, your swimsuits aren’t either.) And you’ll want to remove any loose / visible dirt and animal hair from your clothes before putting stuff in it.
Promising review: “I bought a Guppyfriend a little under a year ago and haven’t looked back. The bag itself is durable and shows no signs of wear, even at the ends of the zipper. The designers of this bag obviously aimed for quality and hit their mark.
You can see the microfibers accumulate after the first half a dozen to dozen washes, which I find comforting (this is actually a solution) and discomforting (how many people have no idea washing their clothes is contributing to pollution in our oceans?). The only critique I have is I wish the bag was bigger so I could fit more clothes per load, and this use less energy and water. But one step at a time, yes?
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Become a founding memberAll in all, an affordable, easily implemented lifestyle change and solution to one of the many ways our everyday lives are slowly eroding the health of the planet. Purchase yours today and be part of the solution!” —Rachel0122
Get one from Reformation, REI, or Patagonia for $34.95.
11.
Or a reef and ocean friendly–sunscreen that, besides being water resistant, broad spectrum, vitamin E–enriched, cruelty-free, vegan, moisturizing, non-comedogenic, and oil-free, won’t leave you with any of that pesky white residue.
You do have to reapply every few hours especially if you’re swimming or toweling off regularly, but that’s the case with literally every sunscreen on the planet (or at least every one I’ve encountered!).
Promising review: “I can safely say that this sunscreen has way exceeded my expectations. I am quite impressed. I was a bit skeptical at first about as to whether or not I’d like the scent. The best descriptor is a combination of banana and coconut. Gets an A+ in my book. I’m generally sensitive to certain fragrances. but the smell isn’t too overpowering — it is definitely noticeable, but in a good way. Consistency-wise, it’s not oily/greasy! It does have a bit of a “lotion-like” feel when putting it on, compared to some of the “dry” sunscreens out there. Nonetheless, it rubs in quite well, and the feel isn’t even noticeable when fully rubbed in. The water resistance is a plus, and one thing that stood out to me was despite being water resistant, this sunscreen isn’t one that almost creates a “film” or causes water to “bead.”” —Random Buyer (An Actual Person!)
Get it on Amazon for $15.99+ (available in SPFs 15, 30, 50, and 70).
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