You may have heard that the sun is bad for you. This is not true. Adequate amounts of daily sunlight are necessary for multiple bodily systems.
The sun helps provide and support vitamin D levels. It regulates various hormones and prevents such mood disorders as anxiety and depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Sunlight has been proven to kill viruses and promote healing. It supports immune function.
While the media and healthcare community has been pushing the use of sunscreen for several decades, the FDA is now proposing making changes to current sunscreen recommendations and further testing of the ingredients in many commercial sunscreen products.
Animal tests are proving the dangers of chemical sunscreens, which may be the reason for some of the increases in thyroid diseases, infertility, sterility and cancers that have skyrocketed in recent generations growing up with the “wear sunscreen” mentality.
Ingredients in chemical sunscreens affect estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid hormones. These endocrine disrupting chemicals may result in premature breast development in girls, undescended testicles in boys. It may even affect reproductive organs in fetuses when slathered on pregnant women. These chemicals can cause low sperm count by mimicking estrogen in the body, resulting in reproductive harm in both men and women. Xenoestrogens can also lead to hormonal cancers such as prostate and ovarian cancer.
Both Octinoxate and Oxybenzone are two chemicals common in sunscreens that are linked to endocrine disruption and cancer.
Methylisothiazolinone is another chemical in sunscreen that may cause skin allergies and rashes, organ toxicity and neurological toxicity.
So, what are the alternatives?
Getting approximately 20 minutes of sunlight daily WITHOUT wearing sunscreen is recommended. If you're going to be in direct sunlight for a day, however, and don't want to feel the burn, it is always best to go the natural route when it comes to sunscreen.
Natural, non toxic sunscreen are available on the market and work just as effectively at keeping your skin from burning than chemical sunscreens. They are also easy to make at home.
Common ingredients in natural sunscreen include natural oils, zinc oxide and beeswax.
Zinc Oxide has been used since 500 BC for burns, wounds and salves. It’s a common ingredient in diaper rash ointment and acne treatments and works great at blocking out the sun.
Non-nano zinc oxide is safer to use because it sits on the skin, creating a protective barrier from UVA and UVB without seeping into your skin and bloodstream.
Zinc Oxide is also environmentally friendly, FDA approved even for use on babies, reduces skin inflammation and is anti-aging.
Oils such as Avocado Oil and Coconut oil naturally contain SPF properties as well as moisturizing ingredients that nourish the skin. On its own, avocado oil has one of the highest SPF protection—15 SPF. Coconut oil’s SPF is approximately 5-8.
Beeswax helps make sunscreen thicker and waterproof but also has health benefits. It protects the skin from free radical damage and totes antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
DIY Sunscreen: Here's a recipe for a Do-It-Yourself Non-toxic sunscreen that will provide you with approximately 30 SPF.
1/2 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup beeswax (depends on the thickness you prefer)
2 1/2 tablespoons non-nano powder zinc oxide
Essential oil (optional: for scent. Stay away from citric essential oils, as they may cause skin-sensitive skin to burn in sunlight. I recommend a few drops of lavender and vanilla.)
Small glass jelly jars
Directions:
Combine avocado oil, coconut oil and beeswax into a put and slowly melt on low heat.
Add in the non-nano zinc oxide. You may wish to wear a mask when you handle the zinc oxide to avoid breathing in the powder.
Stir until combined/melted and remove from heat.
If you are adding essential oils, be sure to research the flash points of each oil. Wait until the mixture cools to under the flash point temperature before adding the essential oil and stirring.
Before the mixture hardens, pour into glass jars. When the mixture solidifies, it should be a thick texture, either a lotion or paste, depending on the amount of beeswax you used in the recipe.
Apply as needed.
This sunscreen recipe does not include any preservatives. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. It naturally has a shelf life of about a year.
High quality, pure supplements can help ensure that you get the appropriate amount of vitamin D to support healthy bones, teeth, immune function and hormonal support.
Vegan ADK: Utilizing two forms of Micellized Vitamin A (palmitate and betacarotene), VEGAN Vitamin D3 along with two essential forms of K2 (MK-4 + MK-7). Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, while Vitamin K2 helps the body ensure that calcium is properly utilized (i.e., that it is ending up in the bones and not in the heart and blood vessels). Vitamin K2 keeps calcium in bones and teeth and out of soft tissues.
Vegan D3+K2: Many people take Vitamin D and calcium supplements thinking they're helping their bones, the truth is without the addition of Vitamin K2, such a health regimen could prove dangerous. Without Vitamin K2, the body cannot direct calcium to the bones where it's needed; instead, the calcium resides in soft tissue (like the arteries)--leading to a combination of osteoporosis and atherosclerosis.* Vitamin K deficiency is widespread—even in healthy adults. To get the range of benefits that Vitamin K offers, you must take Vitamin K2 as a supplement, food sources are limited, at best. Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble substance and is needed for normal blood coagulation. It is associated with reduced risk for heart disease and hip fractures, and is also involved in bone formation and repair. Vitamin K2 has been shown to inhibit calcium deposits (i.e., calcification) in blood vessels and even improve arterial flexibility
Optimum Magnesium: Magnesium is required for optimal vitamin D absorption. Supplementing with vitamin D without also supplementing with magnesium daily may result in a magnesium deficiency over time.
Our Optimum Magnesium contains two highly available forms: magnesium glycinate and magnesium malate, which are also gentle on the stomach.
Men require approximately 400 mg of magnesium a day. Women need about 250-300 mg a day. Magnesium is best taken at night, with or without food.
Sources:
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/
https://www.sweetlifespa.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-non-nano-zinc-oxide