The Truth About the Sun

With Summer just around the corner, and the Texas heat already upon us, we are all beginning to add sunscreen to our shopping lists and researching ways to protect ourselves this season. But before you go crazy with Summer products, lets get the facts straight. The sun is essential to our health. Not only is Vitamin D produced by the sun necessary for bone health, but with full body sun bathing enough vitamin D is produced to also act as a mood elevator and it helps protect us form certain cancers such as breast, colon, ovarian, esophageal, and prostate just to name a few. It is important though to understand that too much exposure to the sun can cause skin damage. A general rule of thumb is the sun is good for us as long as we don't stay in the sun longer than we could without sunscreen. It's a good idea to know your skin type and keep that in mind when planning outdoor activities. Try to avoid excessive sun exposure during the hours of 10AM to 4PM when the UV index is elevated to 7. You can check the UV levels in your area by going to www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html and typing in your zip code. Because many outdoor activities take place during the mid-day hours, it is important to protect ourselves, with protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, using sun block rather than sunscreen and seeking shade. The ingredients in sunscreen can sometimes be just as harmful as the sun by itself. You want to make sure you avoid toxic ingredients such as PABA, parabens, Benzophenone, homosalate, padimate-o, and parsol 1789. Although sunscreen can protect you from burning, it does not protect you from many of the harmful effects of too much sun. Sun blocks with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are a much less toxic choice and protect us from the harmful effects of the sun. Women who are exposed to sunlight (even through glass) should consider mineral based makeup with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in them such as the Jane Iredale line and others. Adding omega 3's, such as found in fish oil, to your diet will also protect your skin from damage. For good product alternatives, see below:

www.mexitanproducts.com - This website has some great natural products that would be good alternatives for regular sunscreen you can get at the store.

You may also want to try Chemical Free Sunscreen made by Alba Botanica. You can get this from Whole foods or check out their website at AlbaBotanica.com To monitor UV exposure click here

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Here Comes the Sun

With the weather warming up, many of us will be spending more and more time outside. While the sun is essential to our health, it is important to put safety first. The sun produces Vitamin D which is not only necessary for bone health, but can also help protect us from certain cancers such as prostate, breast, colon, ovarian, and esophageal. Too much sun can also be harmful. It is very important to be aware of the amount of UV levels. Levels are usually highest when your shadow is shorter than you are, so it is best to limit exposure then. Because most activities happen during the middle of the day, it is sometimes hard to avoid direct sunlight. Be sure to protect yourself. Wear protective clothing, hats and sunglasses, find shade when all possible. Because sunscreens are very toxic, use sun blocks with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for a non-toxic choice. Visit our website at www.carewc.com for more information on safer product choices.

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Soothing Sunburns Naturally

Even though we all know staying in the sun long enough to burn is never a good idea, sunburns still happen. Here are some great and natural ways to sooth those painful burns.

Vinegar
Apply vinegar 5 minutes before a bath or shower.

Sunburn Soothing Bath
2-4 cups Colloidal (if available) oatmeal
1/2 to 1 cup baking soda
1-2 cups powdered Chamomile flowers
1 cup buttermilk, optional
Add all ingredients to bath water, or wrap in white cotton sock and tie to the faucet for adding aroma.

Sunburn Mist
2 fluid ounces of water
9 drops of lavender
2 drops of peppermint
1 drop of spearmint
Mix all, then mist lightly over sun-burned skin.


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