Just Out of Curiosity, What Do You Really Know About Reef-Safe Sunscreen?

Last May Hawaii’s state legislature passed a bill that prevents the sale of chemical sunscreens that not only cause harm to your body, but have been linked to coral bleaching. Senate Bill 2571 prohibits the sale and distribution of any sunscreen that contains common UV-filtering ingredients, such as oxybenzone or octinoxate beginning January 1, 2021. According to the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology “chemicals in sunscreen kill coral and result in DNA damage in larval and adult stage coral. The impact on DNA limits coral’s ability to grow and develop healthily.”

Awareness is growing that sunscreen is a large contributing factor when it comes to one-fifth of the world’s coral reefs dying off over the past three years. It is estimated that anywhere from 6,000 to 14,000 tons of sunscreen, or the equivalent of 25 to 60 million bottles (yes, you read that right), wash off of swimmers and deposit into coral reef areas each year.

Reefs are not only dying at the hands of chemical sunscreen, but global climate change plays a main role as well due to rising ocean temperatures that cause coral to bleach. Why is this such a big deal?

Millions of tourists are drawn to the colorful reefs every year (highly vulnerable to sunscreen-induced coral bleaching)
According to the Smithsonian 25% of ocean life depend on reefs for food and shelter

So, in essence, we as humans need to take care of these spectacular ecosystems.

What can we do to help in the promotional products industry?

In order to save coral reefs there’s a lot of work to be done, but our choice as businesses and individuals in the Promotional Products Industry to promote reef-safe sunscreen can help reduce our impact on the environment! There are plenty of reef-safe options on the market for your consumers to choose from and that’s a great start.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN ORDERING REEF-SAFE PROMOTIONAL SUNSCREEN

SPF 30 lotion, SPF 30 lip balm and our mineral based zinc are all reef-safe sunscreen options from SnugZ USA.

Avoid the ingredients Oxybenzone and Octinoxate
Try out a mineral based sunscreen with the ingredients Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide
Ingredients must be “non-nano”, meaning the ingredients particles must be able 100 nanometers in size so they can’t be absorbed into coral
Indicated on the label that the product is indeed Reef-Safe – Do your homework and check the ingredients to be sure

Related: learn more about Attributes to Look for in High Quality Sunscreen from a past blog post.

HERE ARE 7 REEF-SAFE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS

Need more ideas? Browse all reef-safe sunscreen products from SnugZ USA.

1 oz. SPF 30 Sunscreen in Clear Round Bottle1.9 oz. SPF 30 Sunscreen in Clear Bottle with Carabiner

1 oz. SPF 30 Sunscreen Squeeze Pouch

Colorful Zinc Block in Clear TubeSPF 30 Soy Based Lip Balm in White Tube1 oz. SPF 30 Squeeze Tube Sunscreen

SPF 30 Soy Based Lip Balm in Skinny Tube

Check out all reef-safe sunscreen options at SnugZUSA.com – simply look for the icon below. Ready to order? We’re ready to help with your promotional campaign. Contact us!

April 16, 2018June 27, 2018

Attributes to Look for in High Quality Sunscreen

Meet Ben Altenes. Veteran, photographer and ultra runner.

He’s the kind of guy who refers to a 20 mile trail run as “afternoon fun”. Ben is also a US Army Veteran and began running as a positive way of dealing with PTSD. Being active and outdoors can be extremely therapeutic. That’s why SnugZ is donating a portion of all sunscreen sales from April through July 2018 to Continue Mission – a non-profit organization committed to serving Veterans with service connected physical, mental and emotional injuries.

After Ben’s military service the camera became his outlet, that tool to bring along with him just like he brought along a weapon during combat. Out on deployment, everything around him had to be a tool he could use and trust. Protective gear and equipment he needed being out there alone. Same concept applies to trail running. Ben still needs the proper gear to protect him in the backcountry like shoes, high quality sunscreen and a camera to tell the story. Ben’s Continuing his Mission by creating a story and a journal through his photography. NOT WITHOUT COMMITMENT. NOT WITHOUT COURAGE. NOT WITHOUT SUNSCREEN.

Not all sunscreen is created equal.

Therefore, it can be overwhelming to know which products you can trust and those you should avoid. Don’t worry! We’ve done the research for you. Keep reading for the attributes you should look for in high quality sunscreen.

SPF

SPF or Sun Protection Factor is a measure of sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. Well, now you might be thinking to yourself, “What’s the difference between SPF 15 and SPF 50 sunscreen?”. Let’s break it down into the percent each SPF filters out:

SPF 15 – 93% of all incoming UVB rays

SPF 30 – 97% of all incoming UVB rays

SPF 50 – 98% of all incoming UVB rays

Difference in protection is minimal, but if you have sensitive skin, or your family has a history of skin cancer, an extra 5% can make a large impact. No matter if you are using SPF 30 or 50, no sunscreen can black all UV rays.

Broad Spectrum

Broad spectrum is a term that is often synonymous with sunscreen, but what does it actually mean?

Two types of UV light can damage your skin – UVA and UVB. Broad spectrum sunscreen products protect you from both. The first can prematurely age your skin while the latter can cause your skin to burn (something we are all too familiar with). Personal care products being sold and labeled as broad spectrum sunscreen must be tested and meet the updated FDA standards on a regular basis. Make sure your sunscreen of choice is up to par.

Oxybenzone-Free

Oxybenzone aka benzophenone-3, BP-3, and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone. Wow that’s a mouthful. So, why is it bad?

Environmental Working Group says the chemical oxybenzone is being added to nearly 65% of non-mineral sunscreens as documented in their 2017 sunscreen database. Oxybenzone is a chemical found in some flowering plants. However, it is now being commercially produced from benzoyl chloride with 3-hydroxyanisole. Research suggests that chemical sunscreens are absorbed through the skin and make their way into the bloodstream. EWG, among other toxicology experts, believe it is linked to hormone disruption and potentially to cell damage that may lead to skin cancer. Double check the label to ensure your sunscreen doesn’t have this toxic ingredient. Learn more at ewg.org

Hawaii’s state legislature recently passed a bill that bans chemical sunscreens that not only cause harm to your body, but reportedly contribute to coral reef bleaching. Senate Bill 2571 prohibits the sale and distribution of any sunscreen that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate. According to the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology “chemicals in sunscreen kill coral and result in DNA damage in larval and adult stage coral. The impact on DNA limits coral’s ability to grow and develop healthily.”

Branded sunscreen sales will be impacted by this new regulation. How much? That is yet to be determined. Set your mind at ease knowing that SnugZ USA’s SPF 30 lip balm, SPF 30 sunscreen, SPF 50 sunscreen spray and zinc is coral reef safe. Unfortunately our other sun care products are not yet up to the new regulation.

Reapply How Often?

– After 40 minutes of swimming or sweating

– Immediately after towel drying

– At least every 2 hours

April 27, 2017May 1, 2017

USA Made. Always on-trend.

People often ask: “What’s the next trend?” In fact, it has become quite the trend to ask that question. The simple answer is USA made promotional products, because quality isn’t a mere fad, it will stand the test of time. Check out some awesome SnugZ USA made promo below:

Traverse Leather Goods –
Distinctive leather goods designed and hand-crafted in the USA. Each piece contains refined style and details that set it apart from the pack. Rugged hand-sewn construction so it lasts and lasts. You’ll find everything from beautiful Journals to the legendary Dopp Kit Bag – Choose from 5 domestic, USA Made, leather colors and customize to match your company logo with 11 Irish waxed linen accent stitching colors to create something truly unique.
Check out the entire Traverse Leather collection by SnugZ USA here.

Personal Care –
Summer is right around the corner and with that excitement it’s easy to forget about that inevitable and dreaded first burn. We’re not talking about that insult from the bully in 7th grade that you finally have a comeback to. Think more along the lines of an ugly and red full body sun tattoo. Ouch! Remembering the pain yet?
This day in age it has become paramount to have a keen awareness of what is going on our skin and into our bodies. At SnugZ USA our sunscreen formula and ingredients are always kept up to date with FDA compliance standards. Rest assured, you can count on us to deliver a sunscreen product that is safe, PABA free, and USA Made in an FDA Registered facility that will protect from harmful UV rays.

Beside sunscreen, we have many other Personal Care items as well including: lip balm, aloe, lotion, sanitizer, and spa products. RIGHT NOW during our Summer Love Event get EQP -20%* on our best selling sunscreen through July 2017 – ZSUN10, ZSUN19, ZSUN20, AND ZSUNJT. Click here to check them out.

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1 oz. SPF 30 Sunscreen — $1.16 was $1/45

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1.9 oz. SPF 30 Sunscreen w/Carabiner — $2.12 was $2.65

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2 oz. SPF 30 Sunscreen — $1.71 was $2.13

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SPF 30 Sunscreen Stick — $1.60 was $2.00

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Lanyards –
A lanyard isn’t “just a lanyard”. *Many SnugZ USA lanyards are manufacutred and assembled right in the USA. A lot of factors go into choosing the right lanyard for your event. Some of those can be the right type of decoration that best expresses your brand, material type (durability), attachments, badges and variable data, or a custom design. Watch a great video here to find your perfect solution.

Click below to explore each category:
• Cotton
• Polyester
• Dye Sublimated
• Dual Use
• Cord
• Eyewear Retainer
• Badges
• Zip-It Lanyards that ship the Next Day!

April 10, 2017

Summer Love Event

Summer Love

The SnugZ USA Summer Love Event is going on now through July 31, 2017!

Get EQP minus 20%* on our BEST SELLING sunscreen products like the SPF 30 Sunscreen in our Jumbo Tube (ZSUNJT). This giveaway is a powerful way to spread your brand throughout an outdoor event. As soon as people catch wind of where to get it, you’ll have a huge presence in no time at all. The perfect summer companion that they’ll use until it’s gone!

Not only is the SPF 30 Sunscreen Stick a cool summer promo, but you’ll be helping protect your customers from harmful UVA and UVB rays. You can trust SnugZ sunscreen to always be compliant with FDA broad-spectrum standards and made with safe ingredients. USA made in an FDA registered facility right here in West Jordan, Utah! Take advantage of our Summer Love Event special pricing while it lasts.

Sunscreen will help your clients increase brand awareness at events in 2017 like:

Fun Runs
Marathons
Farmer’s Markets
Volunteer-Based Events
Street Fairs
Much more!

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March 21, 2017March 21, 2017

Sunscreen: Pretty Much the Greatest Summer Promo Ever Invented

For many of us, depending on where you live in the world, days are becoming longer and temperatures are rising. SUMMER! Don’t worry; there’s no need to keep your excitement contained! Yes, summer is right around the corner and with that excitement it’s easy to forget about that inevitable and dreaded first burn. We’re not talking about that insult from the bully in 7th grade that you finally have a comeback to. Think more along the lines of an ugly and red full body sun tattoo. Ouch! Remembering the pain yet?

Summer is the greatest thing invented since electricity, sliced bread and John Stamos! Which brings us to our next point: sunscreen is pretty much the greatest summer promo ever invented. You may be asking yourself, why? Here’s an easy answer to your question, because EVERYONE uses sunscreen!

UV Rays & Compliance

If there’s one thing even your grandma knows best about summer it’s that the sun’s UV laser beams are threatening to penetrate your luscious skin with the fury of 20 Sylvester Stallone’s in the latest Rocky re-boot.

UV is short for ultraviolet. According to skincancer.org both UVA and UVB rays penetrate the atmosphere and play an important role in conditions such as premature skin aging, eye damage (including cataracts), and skin cancers. At SnugZ USA our sunscreen formula and ingredients are always kept up to date with compliance standards. Rest assured, you can count on us to deliver a sunscreen product that is safe, PABA free, and USA Made in an FDA Registered facility that will protect from harmful UV rays.

Case Study & Event Ideas

A distributor customer of ours called a few weeks ago seeking a unique promotional item for a local mountain bike race series. Their client explained: “I want a giveaway that truly connects with our riders. Something they’ll use throughout the summer at every race.”

Instantaneously, we both knew that the Duo Bottle with SPF 50 Sunscreen fill, SPF 15 Lip Balm and Carabiner (ZSUNPL19D –ZLBPWT) would deliver exactly what the race director wanted and more. Racers are stoked to have these for the 2017 season and they plan on ordering more to stock on their race website!

Not only is sunscreen great for MTB racing, but here are some other great ideas:

5Ks
Marathons
Rock Climbing
Universities
Outdoor Events
Ski & Summer Resorts
Tradeshow Giveaways
Recreation Centers
Much More!

Summer can be cruel, don’t forget the sunscreen – Watch the MediaHive Video

April 4, 2016May 23, 2016

Don’t Forget the Sunscreen

Summer, it’s pretty much the greatest thing invented since electricity, sliced bread and John Stamos. Good news: Mother Nature called and she’s ready to party. It’s easy to forget about the inevitable and dreaded first burn! Our Sunscreen saves the day. Summer can be cruel, don’t forget the Sunscreen.

Order now at snugzusa.com

#PromoElevated

March 4, 2016May 23, 2016

Zip-It: Next Day Shipping

WHAT IS ZIP-IT?

“Zip-It” is SnugZ’s new next-day service program. If you place your order before 2:00 pm EST, it ships the very next business day at no additional cost. Zip-It is available for our most popular items.

WHAT PRODUCTS QUALIFY FOR ZIP-IT SERVICE

Look for the “Z” symbol next to the item number in the SnugZ Catalog or online at snugzusa.com to indicate which items are offered on the Zip-It Next-Day service program.

#ZIPITGOOD

February 1, 2016May 23, 2016

More than 50 new products and counting…

WITH MORE THAN 50 NEW ARRIVALS IN 2016…WE’VE BEEN BUSY.

Do you remember the first order you ever made from SnugZ USA? We bet you do! Just like it was yesterday.

Make SnugZ your destination and check out all our new products here. Here’s some great ideas to get you started:

Duo-Bottle
Zen Essential Oil
Sunscreen
Wax Warmer
New Linen Gift Bag
Tingle Lip Balm
SweetZ

SnugZUSA.com // #DestinationSZ

May 29, 2015June 1, 2015

Item of the Week with Katy Burum

Memorial Day is now behind us, schools are wrapping up the calendar year, and pools have officially opened. Now that June has arrived, get ready to embrace the days filled with sunny skies, fresh cut lawns, and family vacations taking off–also known as summer time.

Last week, we asked our veteran National Sales Rep, Katy Burum, for her recommended item of the week for those in a pickle on what to suggest to your customers. She didn’t have one single item for this popular time of year but rather an entire category—Sunscreen and lots of it! Katy is no stranger to making recommendations. She has been a top Sales Representative at SnugZ USA and is going 13+ years strong with us. Her keen knowledge and robust work ethic did not go unnoticed either; this year, Katy was recognized as the #5, out of top 20, Supplier Sales Representatives by ASI Advantages magazine.

Whether your customers have plans this summer to visit a National Park, go on a cruise, or getaway trip to the beach, you’ll want to consider getting them Katy’s recommendation because accompanied with these fun filled days are threatening ultraviolet rays and nasty sunburns. For many of us, sunscreen can be an easily forgettable item to pack but fun in the sun comes with responsibility. Though, initial sunscreen application is just not enough. Did you know experts recommend applying sunscreen 30 minutes before going out? Moreover, be sure to reapply at 80 minutes, especially if you’re sweating or swimming. Don’t be conservative on the amount you slather up either because most of us don’t put on enough. The recommended amount use of sunscreen for an adult is 1 oz., or a full shot glass.

Next, does the level of SPF matter? You bet. Make no mistake, any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen. However, there is a difference in the levels variations of SPF. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and it’s a formula designed to calculate how long one can withstand being in the sun until they begin to burn. For example, an SPF 15 sunscreen means:

Minutes to burn without sunscreen x SPF number = maximum sun exposure time

How do you calculate this formula? Let’s say you step outside and within 10 minutes you begin to burn. If you were to apply an SPF 15, at the rate your skin burns, that means it will protect you up to 150 minutes without burning. However, before you make a dart for the beach, this equation isn’t accurate for everyone and those who participated in the testing may burn faster than you. It’s important to know your skin type because this will play a role in finding out which SPF works best for you. To find which skin type you are, click here.

Now begs the question, SPF 15 vs SPF 100, is there a significant difference? Absolutely. Did you know the recommended use is between 15-50. Beyond SPF 50, you’re really not getting that much more skin protection, a mere 1%. Take a look at the chart below provided by Consumer Reports. An SPF 15 will protect you at a level 93% of UV Rays and SPF 50 will protect you at 98%. No sunscreen will protect you 100%.

All in all, Sunscreen is important. Not only to protect your skin from getting sunburn but Melanoma has never been more of a threat. Melanoma is one of the seven most common cancers in the US and largely rising among young adults. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, an estimated 73,000+ new cases of Melanoma will be diagnosed this year and it accounts for the majority of skin cancer deaths. Katy highly recommends sticking with sunscreen as you think about your customers this time of year. Below we have our starting sunscreen lineup for you to choose from. Believe us when we say they’re sun-sational.

ZSUNPLSP20: 2 oz. SPF 50 Squeeze Pouch Sunscreen. It’s a new product of the year TSA carry on. Also available in 1 oz. and SPF 30.
ZSUN19-ZLBPWT.HC: Lip balm and Sunscreen SPF 30 combo with Carabiner attached. One goes where the other goes.
ZSUNJT: Jumbo Sunscreen SPF 30 Tubes for outdoor events like golfing or concerts or kids camps.
ZSUNPLIRCP: This two-fer is a Suncreen SPF 50 + Bug repellent combo, DEET-free, another handy item for any outdoor event.
ZSUN10: 1 oz. Round Bottle with SPF 30. This is a perennial best seller.

To receive a quote or get a question answered, you can reach our Customer Service department at 888-447-6840.

Sources:

Advantages Best Reps 2015. (2015, February 15). Retrieved May 24, 2015, from https://www.asicentral.com/news/magazines/advantages/january-2015/advantages-best-reps-2015/

What to Know About Sunscreen Before Buying It | Sunscreen Ratings – Consumer Reports News. (2014, May 1). Retrieved May 19, 2015, from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/07/what-to-know-about-sunscreen-before-buying-it/index.htm

Jeffries, M. (n.d.). SPF Numbers – HowStuffWorks. Retrieved May 17, 2015, from http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/sun-care/spf.htm

Skin Cancer Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2015, from http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts

June 13, 2014June 12, 2014

Summer Sunscreen Special!

The summer season is in full swing, so we need to think about protecting ourselves in the outdoors. Sunscreen would be the perfect promotional item for your next giveaway or event.

As it just so happens, here at SnugZ USA we are bringing you an opportunity to bring out on the ‘sun’ without ‘burning’ a hole in your pocket. Take advantage of your 10% less EQP pricing on 5 of our favorite sunny day sunscreens. Products range from spray with insect repellent for outdoor events, to our traditional sunscreen with a carabineer clip to take on the golf course.

No matter what the occasion this summer, you’re protected with SnugZ!