As the weather improves, more people will venture out to join me in the sun. That means we’ll soon be slathering on the sunscreen. It’s important that you get the facts about sun exposure, from both sides of the issue. While I don’t discredit the well-publicized research about sun damage, I also think its important to broaden our knowledge and not forget that the sun is a giver-of-life and that sun-protection can become toxic.
The simplified message from the Federal government is, “Never exposure yourself to the sun without protection.” In response to the thinning of the ozone layer, they favor broad-spectrum sunscreen ingredients like Oxybenzone.
But consider that they’ll also tell you to apply the sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside in order to give your skin time to absorb the lotion. Thus, you better know exactly what you’re slathering on, because you might as well be eating it.
For instance, numerous natural-health sources advise against Oxybenzone. It is said to act like estrogen.
At the same time, a variety of ailments have been linked to a deficiency in Vitamin D. Some are quite serious; many have significant quality-of-life impacts. Like estrogen, think of Vitamin D not as a vitamin, but as a hormone, and you’ll begin to understand just how big of an impact it has on your mental, physical, and emotional health. And the same government that says you should be able to get enough Vitamin D from your diet instituted regulations to fortify milk with the substance in response to the general population’s deficiency.
Personally, to get the Vitamin D my body needs, I prefer the sun’s UVB rays over laced milk, because that’s the original design.
Yes, sun can cause cancer, but even the government admits that the use of sunscreen does not guarantee you’ll remain cancer free.
Lastly, this is not intended to exposure some kind of corporate/governance conspiracy. The degradation of the earth’s protective atmosphere requires we employ unnatural measures to remain safe. It’s a sad fact. But it’s not the only fact. Best we remain open to ALL that we know, not just the bits that are shouted or profitable.
Here are a few resources for more information:
• A simple breakdown of ingredients to avoid: Environmental Working Group‘s website.
• A thorough explanation about the dangers of sun exposure: Environmental Protection Agency’s Burning Facts document.
• A natural alternative: Zinc Oxide
• UV Index for major US cities.
