Protect Your Skin from the Sun Naturally
Avoid the mid-day sun. The sun’s UV rays are the strongest between 10am and 4pm. To the extent possible, limit exposure to the sun during these hours. You can also protect your skin by seeking shade.
Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. Broad-spectrum sunscreen gives you protection from both UVB and UVA rays. Check the sunscreen’s expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date listed has a shelf life of no more than three years and less if it’s been exposed to excessive heat or direct sun. Your sunscreen may be old if it changes color from white to yellow, changes in consistency, or starts to separate.
Apply sunscreen generously. Most people only apply 25 to 50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen. Unless you slather on a thick layer, you’re not getting full protection. One ounce (about a shot glass full) is required to cover your whole body. And remember: Chemical sunscreens need time to be absorbed into the skin to work, so they need to be applied about 15 minutes before going in the sun.
Reapply sunscreen often. Many sunscreens lose their efficacy after two hours. And all sunscreens, even the longer-acting ones, should be reapplied after swimming, sweating, or toweling.
Cover those tricky spots. Don’t forget tricky spots like your scalp, the tops of your ears, the back of your neck, and the tops of your feet. Cover these spots with clothing or apply sunscreen. Apply sunscreen to the underside of your chin, which can burn via reflection of the sun’s rays off surfaces such as snow, sand, and concrete.
Wear sunscreen every day, regardless of the weather report. Damaging UV rays can be strong even on overcast days, so use sun protection every day. Protecting yourself from the sun’s rays is important whenever you’re outside or even when you’re on long rides in the car if you are sitting where the sun hits your skin.
Wear lip balm with SPF. Don’t forget to protect your lips, which are not immune to skin cancer. Apply a lip balm with SPF, and reapply it regularly.
PHOTO BY ME, CAYMAN ISLANDS
Wear UV-blocking sunglasses (the bigger the better). Ideal sunglasses are labeled “UV absorption up to 400 nm” or “Meets ANSI UV requirements,” meaning that they block 99 to 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Not only can UV rays burn the important structures in your eye, UV rays can also contribute to the formation of cataracts, which can affect vision later in life.
Wear protective clothing and broad-brimmed hats.
Your clothes can provide great protection from the sun. Darker colored clothing is usually more protective than lighter colored, and a dry shirt is more protective than a wet one. Look for clothing that has a UPF rating. While SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and measures how long your sunscreen will protect you from ultraviolet rays, UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and indicates how much of the sun’s UV rays are absorbed by the fabric instead of your skin. For clothing that has a UPF rating, look for UPF of 30 and above. Many of these fabrics have special washing instructions to maintain their UPF, so be sure to follow these instructions to ensure your garments continue to offer their full protective value. Wearing a hat with a wide brim – one that is 2-3 inches all the way around – is a great way to protect your head. If you wear a baseball cap, don’t forget to put sunscreen on your ears and neck.
Now Let’s learn more about natural ways to protect our skin and How to be cautious about the products we choose
Here’s how you can get the many benefits of sun exposure, avoid skin damage, and enjoy yourself…
With hot summer days just about here, 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 is it? Should you be scared sunless or let the sunshine in?
PHOTO BY ME, CAYMAN ISLANDS
Turns out, like 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 say, 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 comes in.
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just picking up a sunscreen at the drugstore and hitting the beach.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) researched sunscreens and found that 80% of those sold in the US offered inadequate protection against UVA rays and/or contained potentially harmful chemical ingredients.
(As a side note, The FDA 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 this effort stalled for years.)
So what do you do if you’re going to be hiking in the sun all day long or sitting at the beach for hours?
Then it’s definitely time for some extra help in the form of sunscreen. But you need to make sure what you get is non-toxic and really going to work. So before buying one, check out the EWG’s.
List of best beach and sport sunscreens
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.
5 top natural ways to protect your skin:
1. Eat foods that provide UV protection, including:
· Fish that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, 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.
2. Drink green tea. Green tea has been shown to help prevent non-melanoma skin cancer, and it’s full of polyphenols, which help inhibit cancer development.
3. Eat the right oils. Consuming healthy oils, including coconut, olive, sesame, borage, evening primrose, and avocado helps keep your skin healthy and more resistant to sun damage. (Incidentally, putting oils such as coconut and olive on your skin blocks about 20% of UV rays.)
4. Apply Vitamin E. 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.
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.
Credit to:
https://www.aimatmelanoma.org/melanoma-101/prevention/protecting-your-skin/
https://drkellyann.com/blogs/news/five-natural-ways-to-protect-your-skin-from-the-sun