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OLITA Sunscreen – Product Review

Having a solid sunscreen for your outdoor adventures is key.

When I look for the best sunscreen, it’s looking for one that will provide amble sun protection, but will also stay on in the water, but also won’t run into my eyes when I sweat.

That’s why I was excited to get a free sample of OLITA’s SPF 30. It checks all those boxes. Plus it is super gentle on the skin when applied; easily rubbing and blending in.

OLITA’s SPF 30 is an organic mineral sunscreen that is made from non-toxic, fragrance-free, water-resistant, and reef-safe ingredients for up to 80 minutes. 

I’ve tried other sunscreens in the past that were natural, organic, and reef-safe, but I always ran into challenges with them rubbing in and running into my eyes. And my skin is very important to me. Now that I am in Colorado and spending more time outdoors, exposure is high and I don’t want to look 60 when I turn 40. And I’ll avoid rubbing a sunscreen on my face if I know it’ll run into my eyes. There’s nothing like your eyes stinging when you’re trying to crush a 50K.

But I have been very happy with this product, as well as OLITA’s mission to help the environment through their product development.

Reliefband Sport for Anxiety

Reliefband Sport
Reliefband Sport

Anxiety can be a funny thing. 

Sometimes you’re feeling great and your mental and physical state is feeling more balanced than it has in days. But sometimes it hits you and while you’re not sure what entirely triggered it, you just don’t feel quite yourself. Your stomach is in knots. You feel a heavy weight in your chest. And when you feel into enough, you begin to feel queasy. 

My son and I both have these symptoms. While I have had years to deal with them and to figure out how to manage them, he hasn’t. When it hits his emotions get really big until he starts to cry or flops on the floor (which sometimes leads to injury).

When Reliefband offered us the opportunity to test their Reliefband Sport, we were interested. What if amongst the CBD and DHA and Magnesium there was something else that could help treat the symptoms in the moment.

RefliefBand is an innovator in wearable technology that prevents and treats nausea and vomiting systems. Their wearable devices generate a pulse that stimulates the median nerve which is located on the underside of the wrist. The pulse travels throughout the body’s nervous system to the place in the brain which controls nausea and vomiting. The pulse has a rebalancing effect which normalizes the nerve messages from the brain to the stomach and reduces the symptoms.

They recently released their new Reliefband Sport model. This is their first waterproof model that includes a flex fit comfort band. It’s battery can provide up to 30 hours of use on a full charge. It has several modes so that you can control the strength of the pulse on your median nerve. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my son complain about nausea when his anxiety has spiked. And for him, it’s debilitating. He freezes and freaks out, causing myself, as a parent, to freeze and freak out about how I can help him. And when he’s complained about nausea in the past, we don’t know, in the moment, if it is anxiety or sickness related and it’s caused him to miss school or activities.

With us being an active family, having to wrestle through his anxiety to get out the door for hikes, camping trips, or other outdoor activities has been challenging.

But the Reliefband Sport works.

For his first day of school, my son woke up complaining that he felt like he was going to throw up. I got the Reliefband Sport, but the conductivity gel on his wrist, strapped it on, and turned the pulse setting on it’s lowest setting. And he calmed down after a few minutes and his nausea went away.

Now, while Reliefband is a FDA-cleared treatment for nausea and vomiting symptoms, it is intended for adult usage (at least from a FDA standpoint). If the story about my son resonantes and you’re thinking about using this for your child, please talk to your pediatric doctor first.

BOA on La Sportiva Cyklon

It was a beautiful morning for a trail run at Betasso Preserve on Colorado’s Front Range. I was testing La Sportiva’s new Cyklon trail runner and loving it. But zigzagging down a set of steep switchbacks, my feet felt suddenly loose. I stepped to the side of the trail, and click-click-click, I was perfectly snug and back on my way. 

This 10-second adjustment was thanks to the BOA technology La Sportiva uses in the Cyklon: a simple dial for one-handed tightening of the length entire length of the shoe. 

The strength of the BOA system is its simplicity. A dial about the size of a quarter tightens a thin cord that stands in for laces. Lightweight, less bulky, and cleaner than traditional laces, the BOA system can be dialed in small increments for a precise fit. And it never loosens or comes untied like traditional laces. 

I like the BOA system so much that I have it all of my different bike shoes. (Another benefit of BOA is being able to adjust your footwear while wearing gloves.) The Cyklons are the first running shoes I’ve worn with the BOA system, and throughout several different outings, I was impressed. I often find myself stopping during a longer run to re-tie my shoes, or wishing they fit more snugly on a downhill section than on the flat. BOA solves that problem, and who doesn’t love being able to pop out their shoes in a few seconds back at the car? 

Showers Pass Wildwood Running Hat Gear Review

Showers Pass Wildwood Running Hat
Showers Pass Wildwood Running Hat

I have to tip my hat to Showers Pass. Consistently, the products I am sent to test quickly become new favorites and their Wildwood Running Cap is no exception.

And let me be clear: I have a lot of hats. My wife reminds me of that fact constantly. So it takes a lot for a hat to make it to the top.

But I am beyond stocked that Showers Pass continues to expand its portfolio of running specific products.

It’s the perfect companion for trail runs with the wide brim for sun protection (UPF 50+), but also its material wicks away sweat and is incredibly light (only 2.5 ounces) and comfortable. The material is also incredibly breathable. This summer has been a scorcher and this hat has been a great companion on hotter days as I’m pulling out all stops to not overheat.

On the technical side, the style of the Wildwood Running Cap is a classic five-panel style. It sits lower on my head, unlike some of the other running hats that are a trucker style. It’s easy to adjust with a rear buckle strap. The material is a nylon/spandex construction, so it has some flexibility and stretch.

If you’re looking for a new running hat, look no further than Showers Pass.