Summer is here and the Internet is drowning in articles about sun exposure and sunscreen…writers warning of the evils of the sun and the necessity of sunscreen all packaged in skin cancer statistics and delivered with a bow. If you’re as sick of it as I am, there’s good news: Much of what they say is wrong! Let me break down the basics for you as quickly as possible so you never have to read another article about sun exposure and sunscreen again…
Should I go out in the sun?
Yes! Sure! Have at it! Avoiding the sun completely is not good for you. Excessive sun exposure is not good and can lead to skin cancer (though chances are better that it will simply lead to more wrinkles. But getting a little sun exposure on a regular basis has actually been show to decrease your risk for sixteen different types of cancer, including breast, colon, pancreatic and prostate! All you have to do is get some sun but don’t get sun damage. In other words, don’t ever get burned. And don’t sit outside and sunbathe all day. Anyone can tell that’s not smart to do. But by all means play in the sun a while. Why? Because your body needs vitamin D…
What’s the big deal about vitamin D?
Your body needs vitamin D to run properly. When you are deficient in vitamin D your body will experience increased inflammation (which can lead to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune illnesses, etc.). Vitamin D fights colds and flu and regulates the genes that influence your immune system to destroy bacteria and viruses. A study by vitamin D expert Dr. William Grant, Ph.D. found that about 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented every year with higher levels of vitamin D because it reduces the spread and reproduction of cancer cells.
According to the Vitamin D Council, the amount of vitamin D recommended for supplementation by the U.S. government is not enough to receive the full health benefits of vitamin D. That’s why they say: “Sun exposure should be your method of choice for getting vitamin D.”
How much sun exposure do I need?
Twenty minutes will do it, but don’t get hung up on numbers. And no, lying out for two hours won’t get you “more of a good thing” because you’ll likely be subjecting your skin to sun damage. But also know that there is no risk of getting too much vitamin D from being in the sun. Vitamin D toxicity only happens but when using vitamin D supplements.
What’s all this talk about UVB-rays versus UVA-rays?
UVA rays are the main cause of sunburn. They penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB-rays and cause free radical damage. The reason tanning beds are not good for you is because the high-pressure sunlamps they use can emit doses of UVA-rays as much as 12 times that of the sun. This is why people who use tanning beds all the time are much more likely to develop skin cancer. Some tanning salons now have UVB-only beds, which are definitely an improvement.
So what am I supposed to do about sunscreen?
Put it on if you know you’ll be outside much of the day. But if you’re obsessive about putting it on every single day under your makeup you’ll never get the vitamin D you’ll need. So use common sense. Just don’t use anything except an all-natural sunscreen.
Conventional sunscreens are extremely hazardous to your health. Don’t use them on yourself and please don’t use them on your children. The main chemical in 90% of sunscreens is octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC). OMC kills cells in mice, even at very low doses. In addition, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, an ingredient found in most sunscreens, has also demonstrated to have toxic properties.
Studies have shown that the chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed through the skin and end up circulating in the blood stream. Other chemicals often found in sunscreens that you don’t want circulating through your bloodstream include:
- Octyl salicyclate
- Para amino benzoic acid
- Avobenzone
- Oxybenzone
- Cinoxate
- Padimate O
- Dioxybenzone
- Phenylbenzimidazole
- Homosalate
- Sulisobenzone
- Menthyl anthranilate
- Trolamine salicyclate
- Octocrylene
You would think they would use safe ingredients in sunscreens made for kids, but they don’t. For instance, here are the ingredients in Coppertone Kids Sunscreen Spray With Protective Vitamins:
Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6%, Alcohol Denat. (63.5% V/V), Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Glycerin, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Fragrance, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
No amount of “protective vitamins” will help save kids from the dangerous chemicals used to make this sunscreen. And most other popular kids sunscreen brands have the same thing going on. Just check the label if you don’t believe me.
So what sunscreen should I use?
An all-natural one that uses zinc oxide to reflect and scatter both UVA and UVB rays. For instance, this great kids’ sunscreen from Belly Buttons & Babies would be completely safe for little ones because it contains these ingredients only:
Purified water, zinc oxide, grapeseed oil, grapeseed extract, tocopherol (vitamin E)
The bottom line about sun: Get some. Not too much. Don’t get burned. Never ever use anything except an all-natural sunscreen.
