natural sunscreens (& why you NEED to switch)
most commercial sunscreens give me the willies. i wouldn’t touch them with a 10 foot pole! but we’ll save that for the end…with summer pretty much here to stay (where i live at least haha) i’m gonna share with you how i’ll help protect my skin from the sun. i’ve also posted about sunless tanners if you haven’t checked that out yet.
first, what’s the deal with sunscreen?
in today’s society, we are so scared of getting skin cancer. we’re told to slather ourselves with sunscreen and to almost “hide” from the sun. skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., with 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people diagnosed annually, with ONE IN FIVE americans developing it in their lifetime. astonishing! just this year alone (2013), an estimated 3,170 deaths from nonmelanoma skin cancers will occur. and to top it off, about 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
so to answer if we need sunscreen, we have to first understand if these suggestions to curb our sun exposure are of sound advice. to do that, we have to understand what the sun naturally does to the human body – increases the production of melatonin, serotonin, and gives us vitamin d. if you want to learn more about the positive effects of the sun, please check this gal out. my views on sun exposure align perfectly with hers, and i can’t express how pleased i am that she backs everything she says up with published research. i value that so highly, especially since i hold a Master of Science degree. everything i do to and for my body is well-researched, as it should be for you!
my personal opinion is that responsible sun exposure, combined with a healthy lifestyle and eating habits, is ESSENTIAL to every human. i am NOT saying “hey, go get a sunburn! it’s okay!”… because it’s not. but responsible exposure is an important part of keeping your body healthy. supplements don’t replace actual sunshine.
that being said, it is extremely important to protect your skin from overexposure and sunburns (aka, YES, you need suncreen!!!) so h
homemade options (different recipes below ingredients):
- red raspberry seed oil – SPF between 30 and 50 (seriously!)
- carrot seed oil – SPF 30
- wheat germ oil – SPF 20
- hazelnut oil – SPF 15
- coconut oil – SPF 10
- soybean oil – SPF 10
- shea butter – SPF 6-10
- macadamia oil – SPF 6
- jojoba oil – SPF 4
- rice bran oil – SPF 4
- sesame oil, hemp oil, avocado oil, peanut oil – SPF between 4 and 10
- vitamin E – helps protect against UV damage
- zinc oxide (natural mineral… powder form) – reflects sun (add for a long lasting sunscreen)
- titanium dioxide (powder) – reflects sun (if the zinc oxide needs a boost, add for a long lasting sunscreen)
mix any of the above ingredients to make your own, depending on your SPF needs.
essential oils can also be added! if you want to know how much of each powder to add, check this chart out. there are TONS of other recipes out there. TONS! here are my top 3: one, two, three. some use beeswax, but the easiest and just as effective will be the consistency of a tanning oil (and more creamier if you add zinc oxide or titanium dioxide).
WHERE TO BUY INGREDIENTS: in your local health food store
or try here.don’t want to mix your own?? then try these -
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