Summer is nearly upon us and stores everywhere are displaying their sunscreen and sun burn healing products.
It's common knowledge that sun protection is a vital part of preventing skin cancer and signs of aging, but did you ever wonder if with all those crazy-sounding ingredients listed on those bottles that you might be doing more harm than good?
What you put on your skin, you put in your body. Studies show that the skin absorbs what's applied to it and trace amounts can be found in the bloodstream.
Many popular brands of sunscreen include ingredients that are known hormone disrupters like oxybenzone or retinyl palmitate which have been linked to increased cancer cell growth. The EWG (environmental working group) has done various studies on over 1800 products. You can access the results here and find out what they consider to be safe sun protection.
Don't panic - there ARE safe and natural options out there. Many health food stores carry a variety of options including zinc oxide and titanium dioxide based sun blocks. Saje has a great one called Sun Sense SPF 15 or 30 which blocks UVA and UVB rays and has many great moisturizing ingredients in it too.
While sun blocks offer a great layer of protection from the sun, they are not the only option. Human beings require the vitamin D that sunshine provides, and the human body, when optimally fed, is designed to cope with the effects of the sun.
Here are a few foods that can help your body fight sun over-exposure and bring you back to balance:
- Watermelon, tomatoes, and red bell peppers all contain high levels of lycopene.
Studies like this one have shown that lycopene has the power to reduce the harmful effects of UV rays, and reverse the signs of aging. The people who were fed lycopene containing foods were said to have had 30% more resistance to sunburn. Guavas, mangos and carrots also contain lycopene. If you want to find out about how much lycopene these foods contain you can find information here.
- Green leafy vegetables, apricots, mango, carrots and beets are all high in Carotenoids.
Caroteniods are antioxidants that can help reduce the damaging effects of UVB radiation. By eating these foods your body can be better prepared to take on the harmful rays of the sun, while still taking in the positive effects such as the essential vitamin D production. To find out more information on carotenoids check out this link.
- Green tea and black tea are both packed full polyphenols.
Polyphenols are extremely powerful antioxidants that can work against free radical exposure, which is largely to blame for skin aging. Drinking green or black tea regularly can boost your skins sun protection from the inside out. For more information on polyphenols in tea read here.
If you are thinking that hot tea doesn’t go really well with hot summer days, here is a recipe for some nice cold sun tea:
1 pitcher of water
1 or 2 bags of green tea
a sliced fruit of your choice (I like to use kiwi’s and apples, or just lemons or limes).
Let it sit in the fridge or the sun for at least 30 minutes then add ice and enjoy.
Sunburns happen, even with protection internally or externally applied, you might just get too much exposure for your body to handle and your skin can become inflamed, red and dry. When this happens there are a few natural options to consider.
- Saje has a fantastic Carrot soothing and hydrating mist. This product is a great relief to sunburnt skin, it cools it down, begins repairing the damage and instantly sooths the discomfort of the burn. There is also the Carrot, nourishing mango and shea body butter, which helps in the same way but provides more moisturizing help as well.
- Essential oils can be a saving grace to sunburn as well. Lavender is great for healing burns, skin irritations, and inflammation. A drop of pure grade lavender essential oil, added to your regular moisturizer would help calm down over exposed skin.
- Frankincense is known for its restorative properties, it can help repair sun damage and even skin that has been repeatedly damaged over time. A drop added to your regular moisturizer is a great way to distribute it to your body evenly, or you can use without diluting on smaller areas like sun spots. For more information regarding frankincense check this out.
- Rose oil has been long praised for its beautifying effects on the skin. It can be very comforting to dry or overexposed skin. It is high in the antioxidant vitamin C, so if you stayed out in the sun too long, products containing rose oil can help repair the damage. A wonderful saje product for this is the Rose repair replenishing moisture crème, and also Bliss Mist.
Getting outdoors and living it up during the summer is something we all look forward to, especially in our cold Canadian winter climate.
We shouldn’t fear the effects of the sun, just prepare for them. Eating a diet rich in lycopene, caroteniods, and polyphenols will give you some added resistance to sunburns. And if you know that you will be outdoors for a very long time, remember to apply some form of natural, chemical free sun block.
If it all fails and a burn occurs, try out some essential oils and natural Saje products to sooth and heal your damaged skin. Be safe and enjoy your summer!