While enjoying the sun, summer solstice and some beach time it was apparent that many people could benefit from great guidance and terrific tips on how to be sun smart vs. sun screen sponges.
As a follow up to the previous article on products that contain chemicals harmful to your health and skin it is important to mention the sun screens and sun tanning lotions which are widely used and abused. There is considerable information to indicate these chemical compounds may cause more damage than the benefits they claim to provide.
Sun Screen Chemicals Cause for Concern
When you compare the data tracking the increasing use of sun skin care products and the incidence of skin cancer it is easy to notice an apparent correlation between the continuous and significant increase in skin cancer after the widespread use of sun screens and tanning products. Rather than protecting us from sun exposure is seems to be increasing our risk of skin damage and skin cancer. It appears the more chemicals you use and the more you abuse your skin with excessive sun exposure the more you risk having skin cancer, skin damage and wrinkles.
In the tropics where the suns rays are more direct and intense, the native cultures have darker skin and therefore do not use sun screens which results in a very low incidence of skin cancer. However the people with fair skin who regularly use sun screens and bask longer during peak sun hours are experiencing a major increase in skin cancer.
Before the widespread use of these chemical concoctions people used common sense and covered up with hats and clothes or stayed out of the sun during the most intense midday rays. Common sense has been replaced by complex chemical combinations that encourage you to stay out longer in the sun which often results in bake and burn sessions.
Rather than gradually increasing exposure during the early morning and late afternoon hours when the suns rays are less intense and limiting our exposure many insist on getting a fast tan during the most intense part of the day when we should be out of the sun.
Many sunscreens and tanning lotions use chemicals known to be carcinogenic and toxic in their quest to prevent sun burns and skin cancer.
Read that sentence again if you missed the key point. Using sunscreens and suntan lotions which actually contain carcinogenic chemicals and toxic chemicals to protect your skin seems to be “penny wise and pound foolish”. Young children are particularly at risk due to the excessive chemical exposure they are absorbing from the sun screens and other sources over longer periods of time.
Over Use of Sun Screens
Another big concern with many sun screen products is the false sense of protection people feel which may influence them to stay out during the most intense rays (10:00 – 3:00). People also tend to stay out longer with sun screens than they normally would. This may result in a person being exposed to even more harmful and intense rays which damages the skin and underlying tissues. Many people receive painful sun burns when an area of skin is missed or the sun screen is washed off. This tends to reinforce the belief that we need the sunscreens to protect us and promotes a risky cycle of more chemicals and more intense sun exposure both of which are probably unhealthy.
Unfortunately many of the modern sun products are made to be absorbed deeper and last longer which leads to more synthetic chemicals being absorbed into the blood, lymph and tissues of the body. In our modern world of body care and sunning products it is easy to be exposed to over a hundred harmful synthetic chemicals in a single day. Your liver is the organ responsible for breaking down and eliminating toxins in the body. It is often overloaded dealing with the chemicals, junk foods and toxins we ingest on a daily basis to the point it is unable to handle the additional toxic burden which then accumulates in various areas of the body.
Our Body’s Need for Vitamin D
Many people think most sun exposure is dangerous. It is important to realize we all benefit from and need sunlight on our skin. It creates Vitamin D which has many roles in our body and is essential for great health. As a result of the changes to a more industrial society with modern conveniences and “skin cancer phobias” many people are not receiving adequate sun exposure and are deficient in Vitamin D. Utilizing more natural sun light during the day and using less electrical lights at night helps rebalance our biorhythms and hormones as we save electricity and fossil fuels.
Sunlight is necessary for animals and plants to be healthy. It is the energy source for all life on planet earth. We need to understand the role that natural sunlight plays in maintaining our health and longevity. Please make sure you use common sense and good judgement as you apply the great guidance and terrific tips to help you be sun smart vs. sun screen sponges.
Our next blog post will share: Protein Powder vs. Protein Plant Power
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