Sun love over sun fear
I don't know about you, but I grew up with (and still am!) bombarded with the idea that the sun is dangerous. You gotta wear sunscreen. EVERY day. ALL over your body. Especially your face. Even if you are indoors. Otherwise the sun will give you skin cancer.
We're told (from the "experts") sunshine is dangerous, but we know it feels so good on our skin, and even uplifts our mood. We know plants need sunlight to grow and flourish, and animals (like my childhood dog Jasmine) will lay in the tiniest patch of sunlight they find through the window, and move with it until the sun patch is gone.
Intuitively, we have a pull toward the sun. Humans have thrived outdoors for years before the invention of conventional sunscreen- but now sunshine is super harmful?
Is the sun dangerous for us, or good for us? Maybe there is another element involved?
Let's discuss why the sun itself may not be the bad danger its made out to be, its benefits, and how to find balance with safe sun exposure.
The Healing powers of the sun
The sun not only provides us with Vitamin D, but provides nourishment to our cells and is important for our immune, respiratory, digestive systems, hormones, mood, bone health and more!
Sunshine for healing: Heliotherapy was experimented with Dr. Finsen (1893), who saw that sunlight given to sick patients was extremely beneficial. Dr. Rollier (1944) healed disease ridden children with early morning sunshine, fresh air, and nutritious meals.
Interestingly, it was found to be ineffective if the children wore sunglasses! Sun is absorbed through the eyes too, and healthy doses of sunshine is important- children actually need healthy sunshine exposure for strong healthy vision and eye development. *
First morning sunshine is important for regulating circadian rhythms and mood. You can even experiment with this on your own and see how you feel- I have seen the difference for myself!
important risk factors you might not know:
Slathering sunscreen on your skin every day can actually be doing more harm than good.
Conventional sunscreens (and many heavily marketed sunscreen brands) contain harmful, toxic ingredients that your body then has to process. Not only is it a stress on your liver, it actually can be carcinogenic! You can read my Instagram post to learn more about sunscreen ingredients to avoid, and choose a sunscreen that has non-toxic ingredients from this reel.
Wearing sunscreen EVERY time you go out, also blocks your skin from absorbing the sunshine for its benefits.
The impact of processed, inflammatory foods, and chemicals in your everyday lifestyle make you more susceptible to skin damage and disease.
As written in Nadine Artemis's book Renegade Beauty-The culprit for Sun damage is due to all the processed foods, pesticides, trans fats, factory farming, formaldehyde, artificial color, flavors, additives, fluoride, synthetic/GMO vegetable oils, antibiotics, medications.... found in our food and lifestyle which creates inflammation, collagen breakdown, and pigmentation. Additionally, "The rampant use of rancid PUFA vegetable oils (like soy, corn, canola, Mazola) suppresses immune function, damages DNA, and is linked to wrinkles and hyperpigmentation" (pg 104).
A compromised skin barrier
If you use harsh scrubs, chemical peels, products labeled "anti-bacterial", and products with toxic ingredients in your skincare, your protective skin barrier (the acid mantle) is likely compromised (and of course your skin is absorbing harmful chemicals as well). Instead you want to opt for safe, skin nourishing, non-toxic products that rebuild and support the skin barrier to protect you from external and internal skin issues. If you're not sure where to start with non toxic skincare, check out the shop for some of my favorites.
Healthy Suncare Tips:
Drink lots of water (spring or filtered water, I use a Berkey) to stay hydrated. Avoid Tap.
Aim for sun exposure early morning or late afternoon, instead of being out at the apex when the sun is strongest (Burning to a crisp is not good for you either!)
Sunscreen prevents your body from absorbing the benefits of the sun as well, so allow your skin to soak up the sunshine without any SPF for small amounts at a time (especially good in the morning).
Utilize Cellular hydration, protection and Internal SPF from fruit and veggies: Antioxidants like berries, pomegranate, watermelon. Eat those leafy greens, tomato, carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes and healthy fats from things like chia, flax, and hemp seeds, and Astaxanthin. Drink nourishing and skin protective liquids like green tea and liquid chlorophyll.
Help your body avoid sun damage with colorful fruit and veggies (as listed above) providing your body with vitamin A, E, D, C, K, along with ensuring it has enough zinc (pumpkin seeds), selenium (brazil nuts), minerals (I like Concentrace), and electrolytes (my fave).
Avoid processed foods (ie: foods with long, hard to pronounce ingredient lists), artificial colors and flavors, fluoride, inflammatory oils (seed oils, PAM, trans fat), unnecessary medications...
If you will be outside for many hours in strong sunshine, wear a hat and opt for non-toxic sunscreen and sun protection from Living Libations (by Nadine Artemis).
Melanin is a protective barrier against burning in the sun. Starting out slowly, allow your body brief, bare sun exposure, to build up your body's protective layer of melanin. If you never allow your skin time in the sun, you are preventing your skin the opportunity to build this barrier. (Length of time does depend on skin tone-Light/fair skin has less melanin, dark skin has more, but all skin types can support their natural ability to protect their skin to some extent with balance, safe exposure.)
Don't wear sunglasses every time you go outside. Let you eyes soak up and absorb the sunshine.
some of my favorite Quotes on this topic:
"What we ingest determines how our skin responds to sunlight. Skin cells must be strengthened and nourished internally with real (clean) food and water to receive the full blessing of interacting with the sun"- Nadine Artemis, author of Renegade Beauty
"The sun has never caused cancer. A lack of ability to handle the UV radiation has caused cancer. Just like germs don't kill people; the lack of ability to adapt kills people. The sun is not evil. Toxic inflammatory food, alcohol, and dehydration are the true evils (culprits). " -Dr. Bradley Cambell
"A good 10-15 minutes of direct sunshine a day will strengthen and energize your body, mind, and soul, it is a simple yet profound source of healing." -Anthony Williams
Play a little game with me and visualize these two things:
A sun-deprived person working indoors all day, in a room with bright artificial lights and no natural light from windows, in an oversanitized environment looking at screens all day, using air fresheners instead of fresh air... Compared to the warm, healing sunshine out at the ocean, park, or farm- which would be healthier?? Yet we're encouraged to stay indoors and avoid the sun for our health?
Don't live in fear. Connect with nature. Let yourself feel the sunshine on your skin.
It’s all about healthy internal suncare, lifestyle, and balance.
To warm sunny days and healthy, strong, sun-kissed bodies <3
xx,
Daniella
*: source = Renegade Beauty by Nadine Artemis
