Sun Safely
You know how you want to do something even though you know you shouldn’t?
Suntanning is sort of like that. We all know better. We have heard all the horrible things that the direct sun exposure can do to our skin over time. The risks are high.
But the immediate effect of a little color on the skin can make you tune out that voice in your head that tells you all the damage you are doing.
Yet — getting real, pure sunshine is actually what we need. Our bodies need Vitamin D straight from the source through the skin and eye.
We know that over-exposure to UV light can cause skin damage and prematurely age the skin. This has been told to us so much we can all recite it. But we also love to be in the sun and we actually need to be. So the way to enjoy the sunshine is to calculate the time of day and use sunscreen for prolonged periods. Many people say they hate the feeling of sunscreen. Or that it is too greasy, clogs pores or doesn’t last very long. All of that may be true but you need to do some research on the sunscreen to use, as most are toxic.
There are two issues: First, we are so afraid of the sun that we hide from it and we don’t get enough. And then the second problem is common sunscreen has some negative effects. The most common sunscreens contain chemical filters. The typical ingredients include: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, or homosalate.
The chemical sunscreens soak into our skin and find their way to our bloodstream. Just take a moment to think about how that is affecting your whole body. These chemicals can travel all over the body from the skin.
The chemicals found in sunscreen interfere with the normal function of our hormones. And when you mess with the hormones it really can wreak havoc on our health.
There is good news. Thankfully there are some alternatives that do a good job to keep our skin protected.
To be safe, the active ingredients you should look for are zinc and titanium. Look for zinc oxide and titanium oxide. These sit on the skin and physically block UV light. They are protectors.
Zinc is less whitening on the skin and blocks almost all of the dangerous UV light. The ones that are micronized have the smallest particles. If you want a recommendation, try Derma-e natural mineral sunscreen because it is chemical-free as well as nanoparticle-free zinc oxide.
The bottom line: go out in the sun. We need daily doses of the sun to boost our immune system, sleep and our mood. Go outside, soak in the sunshine without any sunscreen for 10-20minutes each day and do your body some good. Enjoy yourself. Be with your friends and family and have a great time. And consider the sunscreen you apply for the days you will be spending a lot of time in the direct sun and choose better for yourself.
