Photo by Jean Carneiro by jstarr
The summer season is a time for fun and relaxation. For most people, school is out, summer work hours are in, and barbecues are heating up.
However, your summer fun can quickly come to an end once those UVA and UVB rays attack your skin! During the summer, when the UV index is the strongest, it’s important to wear sunscreen most of the time, and especially between 11 A.M. AND 2 P.M. to avoid potential life-long damages of the sun.
You need to balance your need for Vitamin D with protecting yourself from the damages that sun can cause. You don’t need that much sun time to get your weekly dose of Vitamin D. The Mayo Clinic suggests that by getting outside in the sunlight every day for 15 to 30 minutes, gets you all the vitamin D you need. If for some reason you don’t get enough sun – say, you work all night and sleep all day, you can take Vitamin D supplements, drink orange juice, or eat dairy products and fish.
The sun is the leading cause of skin cancer and contributes to skin aging. By applying an SPF of 15 or higher, you can avoid being part of the 69 % of Americans who don’t wear sunscreen and risk the following:
- skin cancer
- premature aging
- burning and blistering of the skin
- cataracts and eye damage
- immune system suppression caused by an over exposure to UV radiation
Here are some tips for using sunscreen:
- When choosing a sunscreen, make sure to choose one with UVA and UVB protection in order to protect your skin from the cancerous rays and from the rays that make your skin burn.
- Apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going out in the sun.
- Apply sunscreen evenly to avoid certain areas from getting burnt and blotchy.
- Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100 % of both UVA and UVB rays as possible (cdc.gov)
- Most importantly, REAPPLY, REAPPLY, REAPPLY. This should be done every 1- 2 hours, or when you feel a burn coming on. You be the judge.
Tagged: Sunscreen Skin Cancer Sun Safety
Comments
seancailteux (Sean Cailteux) says…
Great post! Sunburn provides NO benefit and is NEVER good for the skin/health!...and it hurts =(
As you mentioned, getting an adequate amount of daily Vitamin D is extremely important and is possibly the most important thing one can do for her health; and sunshine is absolutely the best way to accomplish this. But like you said, too much sun can be problematic. The only thing that worries me about sunscreen is the potential chemical threat that comes with continuous application. Unfortunately, many sunscreens are loaded with toxic chemicals that can actually accelerate skin cancer, or get into the bloodstream where they can disrupt hormones. My thought is that the best ways to prevent sunburn are to avoid staying in the sun for prolonged periods of time, and by covering up. A cap or visor can be real handy for protecting the face and eyes from direct sunlight, and most cotton clothing actually provides an SPF of 15. So, do we really need to wear sunscreen at all? I would say that on days when extended periods of sun exposure are unavoidable, absolutely YES! However, understanding that most of the commercially available sunscreens contain potentially toxic chemicals such as OMC (Octyl methoxycinnamate), Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Homosalate, Octinoxatre, and Octisalate, it would be better for one's health to purchase sunscreen that is free of such chemicals. Thanks to the Environmental Working Group, one is now able to see exactly how her sunscreen rates for safe ingredients and efficacy. EWG's Sunscreen Guide is available at www.ewg.org.
Another important point to consider is that fresh, raw vegetables also provide one's body with an abundance of powerful anti-oxidants that will help fight the free radicals caused by sun damage that can lead to burns and cancer. Consuming a healthy diet full of natural antioxidants has always been a useful strategy in not only staying healthy but also providing the body with the resources to counter damage from exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
My recommendation would be to get at least some sun exposure daily. You mentioned the amount of such exposure should be 15-30 minutes. I think that's perfect! But limit overexposure, and cover up and use sunscreen sparingly when possible. And when sunscreen is necessary, take care to employ the most toxicity-FREE sunscreen available. Thanks for posting your article and for listening to my opinion. Have a great day.