A look at 10 natural sunscreens that you may find interesting to use this summer. Let’s face it you need sun— a daily 10-minute dose is recommended by health experts, but you’ll still have to make choices for sun protection and those choices can have an impact on your health. Not all sunscreens are created equal and some contain risky chemical ingredients that can cause more harm than good, so READ the ingredients label carefully.
Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide ingredients are natural mineral-based sunscreens that offer broad spectrum protection from harmful UVA radiation but they are chemical compounds so they are not 100% natural. For those who want the most natural sun, wind and heat protection consider these 100% Natural Skin care options:
1) Limit your sun intake
-
- (especially during peak hours of the day
) and avoid tanning booths
- . In winter/colder weather cover your face, wear goggles or glasses to protect your skin because the wind can cause as much damage to your skin as the sun does.
2) Red Raspberry Seed Oil
- is an ingredient to look for in your sunscreen products because it is known to provide the highest broad spectrum UV protection against both UVA and UVB rays and contains exceptionally high levels of Alpha Tocopherois, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids. Some sources state that Red Raspberry Oil has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) as high as 28-50.
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3) Other Oils
- to look for in your products that provide natural protection against the sun, wind and heat are Hemp Seed Oil (SPF 6), Macadamia Oil (SPF6),Sesame Oil (SPF 4), Shea Butter (SPF 4), Jojoba Oil (SPF 4), and Coconut Oil (SPF2).
4) Lycopene is
- a natural sunscreen that helps minimize wrinkles as well! Make sure you include it in your daily diet. You can find it in cooked tomatoes and tomato products such as tomato paste and sauce.
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5) Saturated Fat—
- Eat plenty of it! By bumping up your saturated fat intake you can improve your UV resistance. As if you needed a good reason to add butter to your diet. Palm oil and coconut oil are also good sources of saturated fat that can protect the skin when eaten before sun exposure.
6) Proanthocyanidins
- , found in wine, grape seeds, blueberries, chokeberries, hazelnuts, pistachios, and grains like sorghum and barley, can be effective in preventing UV damage. So drink a glass of wine and include fruits and nuts as part of your diet.
7) A staxanthin is a
- super antioxidant that helps reduce damage caused by ultra violet radiation from the sun and is also an internal sunscreen. It may be difficult to get therapeutic amounts of astaxanthin through food alone. You’d have to consume three-quarters of a pound of wild-caught sockeye salmon, which contains the highest amounts of astaxanthin of all the marine foods, to receive the same amount of astaxanthin you’d get in a 4mg capsule.
8) Shea Butter
- used topically has natural anti-aging properties that cause reactivations of collagen synthesis, resulting in younger looking skin and a resistance to photo-aging caused by the sun.
9) Beeswax
- when used topically is known to lock in moisture, nurture skin cells and protect the skin from damaging environmental factors.
10) Chaparral
-
- , an herb used in tea and oils, is known to have amazing healing benefits. It offers sun protection and increases your skin’s tolerance of the sun and other weather conditions when used regularly.
Research and consider these 100% natural ways to protect your skin from sun, wind and heat. What methods will you try?
Have A Great Summer!
(photo: Kampus Production)