June is here and everyone is officially in summertime mode! With the beautiful weather comes a lot of outdoor activities and people hitting the beach. Being outside in the warm weather and sunshine is not only exciting and fun, but it is also good for your health! Despite popular belief, being out in the sun and soaking in that sunshine does not cause cancer. In fact, our bodies need the sun in order to naturally produce Vitamin D.
Vitamin D, also known has the sunshine vitamin, has been proven to naturally help boost the immune system, help fight cancer, and to improve mood. But that’s not all it does, here are some additional health facts that come with the sunshine vitamin:
- The elderly are 11x more likely to have depression with low Vitamin D levels
- It reduces risk of heart attacks in men by up to 30%
- It reduces risk of breast cancer by up to 83%
- It reduces risk of type 1 diabetes by up to 66%
- Up to 60% of people with fibromyalgia have a Vitamin D deficiency
- It reduces risk of multiple sclerosis by up to 54%
Of course, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Although it is beneficial to soak in the sunshine, you don’t want to get to the point where your skin gets burnt. This is where sunscreen will come in handy. But, believe it or not, it could be your sunscreen that is increasing the risk of cancer.
It has been found that over 75% of sunscreens contain toxic chemicals that can cause a wide range of health issues. The chemical that is most problematic is oxybenzone, which can be found in almost every non-mineral sunscreen. This specific chemical has been found to penetrate the skin, cause allergic skin reactions, and even disrupt hormones. These chemical sunscreens can absorb into the blood, release skin-damaging free radicals, and cause skin irritation. Is this something you want to be using on your skin or, if you are a parent, on your child’s skin?
Luckily, there are some quality brand sunscreens out there that will protect your skin from burning without releasing any toxins into your system. Here are the top 3 suggested natural sunscreens-
- Kiss My Face SPF 30 – this sunscreen is enriched with soothing oat protein and antioxidant defenders such as green tea and carrot extract to help reduce inflammation from the sun. Not only does this sunscreen protect your skin but it also moisturizes for hydrating protection.
- 100% Pure Everywhere Sun Stick SPF 30 – this is 100% natural and 100% vegetarian. It doesn’t contain any questionable or harmful sunscreen chemicals. It provides UVA/UVB protection with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
- Aubrey Organics Natural Sun SPF 30 (unscented) – being fragrance free and only using mineral based active sunscreen ingredients, make it suitable for anyone with sensitive skin as well as for use on babies and children. It uses natural minerals as well as antioxidant rich plant oils and soothing ingredients.
So go out and enjoy that sunshine, but make sure you are protected by the best quality sunscreens. You want to make sure your sunscreen is protecting you, not hurting you.
