Natural sunscreen
Summer is almost here. Time to pull out your flip-flops, swimsuit and sunscreen. Have you looked at your bottle of sunscreen lately to see what is in it? Many of them have ingredients that you may not be that thrilled about.
Dangers
We have all used sunscreen at sometime. What could possibly be that bad about sunscreen – isn’t it supposed to protect us from skin cancer? Well actually, some sunscreens can actually cause cancer. Most people make the assumption that the FDA checks all the ingredients in products that go on our skin. But it turns out that sunscreens, along with many other personal care products, aren’t generally tested for safety. Here is a report that talks about this study. http://www.ewg.org/news/story.php?id=2642
This report found that 6 percent of the products listed actually cause cancer instead of preventing it. So be sure to read this and check your bottle of sunscreen for the harmful ingredients so you can avoid them.
In addition to being harmful to us, sunscreens are also toxic to plants and animals when we go swimming in rivers and lakes. These chemicals not only pollute the water, but also the fish that people often catch and eat. To learn more about this problem visit this website:http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthagw/2006/jan/science/te_sunscreens.html
What to Do?
So what should you do to protect yourself and your family from the sun, but also from the toxic chemicals?
The most important thing is to understand that the sunlight is good and important for us. This is explained in great detail in an interview with Dr. Michael Holick entitled “The Healing Power of Sunshine and Vitamin D” by Mike Adams available as a free download at http://www.truthpublishing.com/MichaelHolick.html
As Dr. Holick explains, “the skin contains special cells (melanocytes) capable of producing melanin and releasing it as pigment. UVB radiation stimulates these melanocyte cells to produce more pigment, which is then browned by the UVA rays as the pigment rises to the skin surface. Some people have a harder time producing melanin. This can be a hereditary issue and a weakened pituitary. Seeking out sunlight in safe, reasonable doses, on the other hand, does wonders for your health and may, in fact, render all sorts of conventional medical therapies irrelevant.”
Okay – so we know we should get in the sun, but can’t we get too much?
Yes of course we can, but there are ways your body can handle more than what you think you can, but it takes some preparation on your part. The first thing is to make sure you are feeding your skin. There are several things that feed the skin, many of which the majority of the population does not get enough of.
Get your good fats
One of the main things that feeds your skin is essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are the “good fats” that our body needs to help keep our circulatory systems flexible, act as an anti-inflammatory for our body’s tissues, lubricate our joints, feed our brain, and keep our skin supple, moist and strong. Essential fatty acids are in foods such as avocados, coconut, fish and nuts. If you don’t eat these things it is more than possible that your body is deficient in these essential nutrients. Many people supplement their diet with flax seed oil, fish oils, evening primrose oil, borage oil and black current oils. These are all important essential fatty acids, each providing a piece of the puzzle to help keep our bodies properly lubricated, and is similar to how we keep our cars lubricated. I have had several customers that normally burn very easily that take either flax seed oil or fish oils and are amazed at how much more sun their body can take before they start to burn. Many people are starting to take these oils, but often do not take enough. It is important to use these effectively to take either what is on the label, or more if you are currently deficient. Once you feel your body has an adequate balance, then cut down appropriately. Check with your health professional as well.
Take your anti-oxidants
I ran across a scientific study several years ago that included sunburn pictures. They had applied three different strengths of vitamin C solution to the tender wrist side of the forearm and then exposed that skin to bright ultraviolet light, simulating sunshine. The more antioxidants available, the less the burn! I took the lesson away from this that saturating the body with antioxidants will protect the tissues from oxidative damage including radiation (including sunburn).
We also meet people who have spent most of their life smoking or working outdoors. In both situations their skin becomes leathery and deeply wrinkled. The lesson is that chronic abuse and/or depletion of antioxidants allows damage to the skin to accumulate.
So, I suggest lots of antioxidants (both water- and fat-soluble) in addition to sunscreen. One gauge of a person’s need for antioxidants at a point in time is their bowel tolerance. How much Vitamin C can they take (at about 2,000 mg/hour) before they develop diarrhea? Not all anti-oxidants cause loose stools, but Vitamin C does and the more anti-oxidants you do take, the healthier not only your skin will be, but also your bowels.
If you don’t know how good of a supply of anti-oxidants your body has, you can take a urine test (sold in some heath food stores) to let you know how deficient you are.
You can take anti-oxidants internally obviously but you can also spray on topically Vitamin C or Vitamin E. You could make your own sprays easily or purchase some of the new products that are coming out on the market. Things that are high in anti-oxidants include: wolfberries, gogi juice, green tea, vitamin C, Vitamin E, grape seed, pine bark, Acai, Co Q10, dark chocolate, blueberries, pomegranate and many other fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Holick’s article helps you calculate how much sunlight you need for your body based on your ancestry and current geographical location. Once that time has passed, be sure to cover up with a hat or loose clothing or just go inside. Getting a good dose of sunshine is good for you, but too much can be harmful because it will burn your skin – which is painful and most people want to avoid the pain, so dress appropriately.
If you do get burned – use natural substances to actually nourish and repair the damaged skin. Some of the better products to use are Emu oil, which is absolutely amazing at healing burns. Lavender Essential Oil, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C are also very helpful.
So get out and enjoy you summer in a healthy way for you and the planet.