Don’t Live Life Inside!
When I think of summer, my immediate thought is sun and pool time! Considering Indiana has about 6 months of NUCLEAR WINTER....sun exposure while we have it is vital to build up crucial stores of vitamin D. These stores are necessary to help fight long term disease like cancer, arthritis, immunity issues.
However, how much is too much? We’ve all been taught to fear the sun... and to slather on 120 SPF coppertone at least 20 min before ever setting foot outdoors.
The truth is, most people should get about 20 min of sun exposure per day without any form of protection in order to raise our natural vitamin D levels.
Secondly, sunscreen should be used as a last resort due to the damaging chemicals within them.
It’s true, all sunscreens are not created equal. In fact, a 2019 report from the environmental working group found that nearly two-thirds of sunscreens don’t work and/or contain concerning ingredients that are readily absorbed by the body. A recent study found that sunscreen chemicals hit the bloodstream within a day of using them, and at levels high enough to prompt a government investigation on safety.
Concerning ingredients in sunscreens include:
Oxybenzone: acts like estrogen in the body and has been linked to endometriosis and low testosterone levels
Vitamin A Additives (retinol, retinyl acetate, retinyl linoleate): government studies show that these can speed up skin tumors and lesions
Methylisothiazolinone: 2013 allergen of the year...and is an active ingredient in most sun screens
Some non sunscreen solutions include:
1. Avoid midday sun exposure when the sun is most intense.
2. Wear sun hats and coverups.
3. Don’t wear sunglasses! Strange suggestion right? When UV light is blocked, the brain doesn’t get the signal to produce melanin necessary for your body to tan and not burn.
4. Cut out SEED OILS from your diet. You'll be surprised how well this works in regards to reducing sunburns!
5. “Eating your sunscreen”...and no I don’t mean physically eating sunscreen! However, eating blueberries which contain antioxidants , carrots which convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, and watermelon that contains lycopene the day before sun exposure has been proven to protect your skin. You could choose to juice these items too into a nice poolside beverage with an at home cold press juicer.
For those long days outside, sometimes sunscreen is un-avoidable and in those moments I would recommend the brands Pipette and Babo Botanicals.