Natural Ways to Protect Your Skin from the Sun
With the Sinulog street dancing just a few days away, it’s time to talk about keeping your skin safe.
Are you confused about the sun? A lot of people are. On one hand, you hear dire warnings about the sun causing skin cancer and premature aging. On the other hand, you hear that Vitamin D is the “sunshine
vitamin” that keeps your bones strong and protects you from cancer, depression, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease – and to get enough of it, you need some sun exposure every day.
So which one is it? Should you be scared of sunlight or let the sunshine in?
It turns out that, like with a lot of things, the answer is moderation. The sun is here for us, and we need to learn to use it wisely.
A little daily exposure to the sun is part of a healthy lifestyle. So, for example, you’re going out for a 10- or 20-minute walk. In that case, it’s time to just head out the door and happily let the sun touch you with its healing, life-sustaining rays.
But most of us have times when we’re going to be in the sun a lot longer than that. And that’s when sun protection should be considered. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just picking up a sunscreen at the drugstore and hitting the beach.
There’s been research on sunscreens conducted in the US that found that 80 percent of those sold in the market offered inadequate protection against UVA rays and/or contained potentially harmful chemical ingredients.
(Note: The Food and Drugs Administration has called SPF values greater than 50+ “inherently misleading,” because they offer no additional sun protection. The sale of sunscreens labeled as having ultra-high SPF values has been banned in Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia. There is proposed legislation to do the same in the US, but some very powerful industry lobbying has kept the effort stalled for years.)
So what do you do if you’re going to be out in the sun all day long or sitting at the beach for hours? It’s definitely time for some extra help in the form of sunscreen. But you need to make sure that what you get is non-toxic and is really going to work.
Equally important is to realize that there are other things you can do to give your skin the best chance of staying youthful and healthy. Here are five top natural ways to protect your skin:
1. Eat foods that provide UV protection,
including:
• Fish that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acid, such as wild salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Studies have shown that these can help protect cells from free radical damage and may protect against some types of skin cancer.
• Dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies. These are loaded with skin-protecting antioxidants and have been shown to be cancer-protective in general.
• Red and orange fruits and veggies. Oranges, red peppers, tomatoes, and carrots… eat a variety of these for skin protecting lycopene and beta-carotene.
Green tea has been shown to help prevent non-melanoma skin cancer, and it’s full of polyphenols, which help inhibit cancer development.
Consuming healthy oils – including coconut, olive, sesame, borage, evening primrose, and avocado – helps keep your skin stay healthy and more resistant to sun damage. (Incidentally, putting oils such as coconut and olive on your skin blocks about 20 percent of UV rays.)
Applying a natural form of vitamin E to your skin, such as alpha-tocopherol or tocotrienol, has been shown to protect skin from the sun and – an added bonus – to reduce the length and depth of wrinkles.
2. Drink green tea.
3. Eat the right oils.
4. Apply Vitamin E.
5. Soothe with Aloe Vera.
Aloe Vera gel is soothing and healing to the skin. It’s the perfect thing to apply if you’ve spent a bit too much time in the sun. Some people also use Aloe Vera on their skin regularly because it calms and relieves any irritation or redness.
May the sun be not too fierce during the Sinulog Grand Parade. But if it is – may you have good protection from possible sun damage. And, yes, may everyone have a lot of fun!