Many of us like to sit in the sunshine. It makes us feel good, we look healthy and fresh with a nice tan, and let’s face it, the sun makes us feel happy!
Unfortunately the sun is extremely damaging if you do not use preventative measures to stop sun damage. The sun can cause skin cancer of course, but did you know that it can take up to 20 years to develop? It can cause premature aging of the skin and hyperpigmentation (dark spots). According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “Most people receive about 80% of their lifetime’s exposure before the age of 18.” Shocking statistics I’m sure you will agree.
What can you do to avoid sun damage?
It is recommended that you wear a sunscreen of at least SPF 15. The higher the SPF, the better the protection level. Sunscreens with a star rating of 4 or more are the highest quality of skin protection you can get. Work out the best SPF for you and reapply it at least every two hours, and every time you go swimming. Plan ahead to apply your sunscreen around half an hour before you go out so it has time to dry and absorb into your skin. It’s really important to also check the expiration date of your sun protection; most only have a shelf life of 2-3 years. The sun is at its most harmful between the times of 10 am-4 pm, so stay indoors or find some shade at those times.
Is there a vegan-friendly sun protection product available?
Yes. A great website that offers a variety of sun protection and self-tan products is www.greenpeople.co.uk which is Vegan Society approved. They have a fantastic range of products such as a soothing after sun lotion, and an SPF 15 tan accelerator. Another company that provides vegan sun care products are a company called Lavera. They have sun spray, after sun lotion, self-tanning shimmer and spray. Most of these products are also available at www.bewellstaywell.com a holistic beauty and body and bath website. Check it out!
Are there any foods I can add to my diet to boost my protection from the sun?
A study by dermatologists found that pomegranates can boost your own natural SPF by around 20%. Both tomatoes and apricots contain substances (lycopene and beta-carotene) which provide an internal SPF of 3. Grapes are fantastic for helping to stop UV damage with something called OPC. Shockingly this is about 20 times stronger than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E. Both sunflower seeds and peanuts contain copper which helps to produce the skin’s natural sun protection melanin. There are many more foods which can naturally boost your sun protection levels.
So, by using the correct sunscreen for you, staying out of the midday sun and eating a healthy diet you can protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun and prevent premature aging!
Post by Catherine Howarth.
After reading your post I can feel that you must good at keep yourself healthy and care about your skin very much. I just don’t want to spend too much time on this so a simple way will be good for me.
its very important to protect skin in summer from sun raises.They are so harmful for skin.You suggest good ways to protect skin.
Thank you very much for the article and your time! It was very informative and very well written!