Sunshine is your best source for essential Vitamin D. Sunlight also
provides you with numerous other health benefits such as fighting
depression and protection against several types of cancer.
We
all need regular sun exposure. However, excess sun exposure can cause
sunburns and the risk for skin cancer.
The majority of sun
damage occurs when you are young,
putting
children among the highest risk for sunburn.
Excessive use of sunblock can be dangerously, but when there are no
practical solutions to protect us from the sun strong rays , the
safe, non-toxic form of sunscreen is your best choice to avoid the
damages of sunburn.
It is
not easy to monitor our time in the sun especially when the kids and
teens are having their fun in the sun during the weekends. However, just
slapping on any form of sunscreen found on store shelves can be as
damaging.
In fact,
using most types of sunblocks may cause you even greater harm and may
actually increase your risk of disease.
The
vast majority of today's sunblocks are nothing more than poisonous
concoctions loaded with suspect carcinogens. Finding a "safe" sunblock
is about as difficult as getting your kids out of the pool on a hot
summer day.
Fortunately, I have found a truly wonderful sunblock that are virtually
free of all toxic chemicals and is certified organic for your
guarantee to organic integrity.
Researchers still recommend using
sunblock as it does protect against basal cell carcinoma, the most
common skin cancer that is usually easy to treat, and it slows the
wrinkling of aging skin. So, when you can't avoid the sun, this sunblock
will give your entire family the most natural and safe protection from
dangerous sunburns.
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The Toxic
Ingredients Concealed in a Typical Bottle of Sunblock |
Sunblock is regulated by the FDA as an over-the-counter drug because it
contains several "active" ingredients. The debate over toxicity of these
active ingredients is still a controversy.
One
study found that the main chemical used in sun lotions to filter out
ultraviolet light may be TOXIC -- and the chemical's toxicity doubled
when exposed to sunlight.
Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), which is present in 90 percent of
sunscreen brands, was found to kill mouse cells even at low doses in a
study by Norwegian scientists. When researchers shone a lamp for two
hours to simulate midday sunshine, even more cells died.
And a
study in the April 2004 Journal of Chromatography found that there is
significant penetration of all sunblock agents into the skin. So, it's a
fair to assume that when you use sunblock your body is absorbing
synthetic chemicals.
And if
you follow the recommendations on the sunscreen's label to apply
generous amounts of the product every few hours, it's likely you will be
absorbing your fair share of potentially toxic chemicals. It takes a
stretch of the imagination to believe that all of these chemicals will
not have any effect on your system.
It's
also important to make the distinction between the two kinds of sunblock
agents: chemical and physical. Chemical sunblock agents protect you from
the sun by absorbing the ultraviolet (UV) and visible sun rays, while
physical sunblock agents reflect, scatter, absorb, or block these rays.
Ultraviolet B, or UV-B, is known as the "burning ray" because it is the
primary cause of sunburn caused by overexposure to sunlight. However,
UV-B sunlight produces vitamin D on the skin, and stimulates the
production of MSH -- an important hormone in weight loss, energy
production, and in giving you that wonderful tanned appearance.
While
longer sun exposure will not increase vitamin D production, it will
increase the danger of skin damage and possible skin cancer. So how do
you get enough Vitamin D without getting burned? There are several key
factors to consider when exposing yourself to UV-B rays including:
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Latitude and altitude of location
- The further north you are the less there is; the higher up you
are the more UV-B reaches you. |
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Your skin pigmentation - The darker your pigmentation or
more tanned your skin, the less UV-B penetrates. |
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Weather conditions and air quality
- Both clouds and pollution (smog and ozone) can block UV-B |
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Time of year - Virtually no UV-B is available in
winter months in the U.S, this means Singapore has UVB all year
through |
These are the most common commercial sunblock products
that contain ingredients which latest research reveals may cause serious
problems
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Methyl sinapate – causes DNA damage (chromosome
aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges)
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Phenylbenzimidazole sulphonic acid
and 2-phenylbenzimidazole – acts as photosensitisers of DNA
damage when exposed to sunlight or UV- B radiation
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Helpful Tips for Sunburn Relief |
Despite some of our best efforts, we may still get sunburn. Overexposure
to the sun could result in a mild first-degree burn, which consists of
redness and pain for a few hours after the sun exposure that eventually
worsens after the next 24 hours. If it's severely painful or covered
with blisters, see a doctor.
Sunburn is burned skin so treat it gently and wait for it to heal.
Here's what you can do if you, or your child, suffers from mild sunburn:
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If you've been in a chlorinated swimming pool, rinse the
pool water off thoroughly, don't rub or use a cloth. Pat
yourself dry. |
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Take a cool (not cold) bath. |
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For sensitive areas around the eye areas, pat cool,
sugarless tea over the area. The tannin in tea provides an
active soothing ingredient. |
The
best remedy for sunburn is and has always been prevention. And if you
think you might be in the sun longer than is good for you -- be safe,
not sorry - bring Miessence Reflect Outdoor Balm, a certified organic
sunblock.
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Don't Let the Sun Spoil Your Outdoor Fun - Order This Organic
Sunblock Today! |
Health safety is
as important as avoiding sun damages
