The sun has many benefits, which is why one should not overuse sunscreen. One of the benefits, which most people have heard about, is that when the sun's rays hit the skin, the important substance vitamin D is produced in the body. If you want to increase the amount of vitamin D in your body, you should spend at least 15 minutes per day outdoors in the sun during spring, summer, and fall without sun protection. If you use sunscreen with SPF 8 or higher, vitamin D is not produced in the skin. On the other hand, too much sunlight can be harmful to the skin. This is about using common sense.
What is the best sunscreen?
We usually say:
Hat/cap and light clothing on the most exposed areas.
Spending a moderate amount of time in the sun.
Adding plenty of antioxidants through food, supplements, superfoods, and herbs.
Natural sunscreens (so-called physical filters) when spending extended time in the sun.
Can you get natural sun protection from within?
Absolutely. We can strengthen our skin so it doesn't suffer from sun exposure or free radicals. How do you do this? Well, the most important factor is what we eat and drink; consuming and adding vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients (what makes fruits, berries, and vegetables colorful). Skin protection and quality improve significantly through nutritious food. So indulge in vegetables, sprouts, algae, fruits, and berries. Take supplements, herbs, and superfoods with antioxidants and phytonutrients.
Antioxidants
All antioxidants or substances with antioxidant functions such as vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, zinc, beta-carotenes, and astaxanthin have a positive impact on the skin.Beta-carotenes provide extra protection against the sun's harmful rays, can inhibit the occurrence of sun rashes, and contribute to faster and more even tanning. Beta-carotenes can be found in foods like parsley, sprouts, carrots, spinach, kale, dill, papaya, spirulina and other algae, but especially in the algae Dunaliella salina, which you can find in our product Biosuperfood, which also contains the powerful antioxidant Astaxanthin.
Essential fatty acids such as Omega-3 also have a beneficial effect on the skin and its ability to handle the sun's rays. Many people use Chaga as a supplement to support the skin as this mushroom is extremely rich in antioxidants.
Should I not use sunscreen at all?
It's obviously not good to get sunburned. When needed, you should choose a sunscreen that works. If you need sunscreen to spend longer time in the sun, we recommend natural sunscreens with physical filters. Keep in mind that the sunscreen with the highest SPF doesn't always provide the best protection. Several studies show that the quality of the cream is just as decisive.
What is the difference between chemical and physical sun filters?
There are sunscreens with physical filters or chemical filters.
Physical filters work as a total barrier against UV radiation. Physical filters are applied to the skin and reflect the sun's rays. In cream form, these mineral-based filters (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) create an invisible shield that prevents UV radiation from reaching the deepest living cells in the skin. As soon as the cream is applied, the filters work immediately until they are washed or sweated off.The only thing that might be considered inconvenient with physical filters is that they can make the skin appear whiter.
We have tips on what you can do about this in this blog article by Anna.
Chemical filters transform UV light into a less harmful form of radiation such as infrared (heat). To do this, the chemical filter must change its structure, and in this process, they gradually lose their ability to shield sunlight.In other words, they get depleted. This is why it's important to apply sunscreen with chemical filters half an hour before you go out in the sun and then regularly reapply while you're in the sun. Chemical filters are applied to the skin and absorb solar radiation. The problem with these chemical filters is that they are toxic to both humans and nature. Especially the ocean (and coral reefs) are affected as millions of sun-loving people swim with these chemicals on their skin every year. And nobody really wants that.
So what should I choose?
Physical filters are the obvious choice in our opinion. To create an effective natural sunscreen with as few harmful ingredients as possible, either the mineral titanium dioxide or the mineral zinc oxide is used. The sunscreens we've chosen to sell contain what's called nano-free zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. We believe this is the best choice for people seeking good UVA and UVB protection without harmful chemicals (which have been shown to be hormone-disrupting) or synthetic preservatives. In addition to the basic protection of titanium oxide and/or zinc oxide, these natural sunscreens often contain beneficial oils such as olive oil, shea butter, macadamia oil, sunflower oil, cocoa butter, and no harmful preservatives, synthetic fragrances, or other health-hazardous substances.However, they should still be used in moderation when sun protection is needed. Zinc oxide is considered a relatively safe metal compound from a health perspective because it doesn't accumulate in the body. There has been much discussion about zinc oxide potentially containing so-called nano-particles, which can be very harmful and are believed to cause DNA damage and, in combination with UV light exposure, can cause the formation of free radicals. The size of these particles plays a significant role. Therefore, it's important to mention the difference between micro and nano particles.Nano-particles are smaller than 100 nm, while micro-particles are larger than 100 nm. There is therefore non-nano zinc oxide made from micro-particles used in most organic, natural sunscreens. This also significantly reduces the ingredient list. If you don't want zinc or titanium oxide, you'll have to choose a sunscreen with chemical filters and accept that they always contain at least one chemical ingredient classified as hormone-disrupting, along with many synthetic preservatives and substances toxic to aquatic organisms.
Summary
Consume nutritious, colorful foods and antioxidant supplements. Plants rich in phytonutrients are powerful allies for your skin.
Moisturize your skin with beneficial, organic oils.
Spend moderate time in the sun without protection to produce vitamin D.
At other times, use physical filters or cover your body with light clothing and avoid the sun when it's strongest.
Avoid chemical filters for both your own sake and for nature/oceans.
List of ingredients in chemical sunscreens you should avoid
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane is poorly biodegradable, accumulates in living organisms, and is likely highly toxic to aquatic organisms. It can cause allergic reactions when broken down by UV light.
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate & 4-methylbenzylidenecamphor (4-MBC) accumulate in living organisms and are highly toxic to algae and invertebrate aquatic animals. These substances are hormone-disrupting.
Octocrylene accumulates in living organisms and is toxic to aquatic organisms.
Cyclopentasiloxane is poorly biodegradable, accumulates in living organisms, and is toxic to aquatic organisms. The substance is suspected to have carcinogenic properties. It has been found in fish, suggesting that the substance can spread on a large scale.
Cyclohexasiloxane is very poorly biodegradable and highly toxic to aquatic organisms. The substance is also believed to accumulate in living organisms.
Oxybenzone and Octyl methoxycinnamate: There are reports suggesting that these chemical filters mimic hormones in the body with various health risks as a result, especially children and sick people are vulnerable groups.
Vitamin A, that is retinol and retinyl palmitate, are suspected of increasing the spread and production of malignant cancer cells according to a report from the Environmental Working Group in the USA (a non-profit group in Washington).
Two types of so-called siloxanes, substances that can be used as softeners and to increase the sun protection factor, are poorly biodegradable, toxic, and can accumulate in very high concentrations in living organisms.
Other very harmful substances in chemical sunscreens:
3-benzylidene camphor, benzophenone-3, Avobenzone, Cinoxate, Dioxybenzone, Homosalate, Menthyl anthranilate, Octocrylene, Octyl methoxycinnamate, Octylsalicylate, Padimate O, Phenylbenzimidazole, Sulisobenzone and Homosalate (Eusolex / HMS).
You can read about which SPF you should use here.
Now you know a bit more and can make your own choice. Sunny greetings from all of us at Glimja.se
