With the fear of the Sun and the damage it can do to our health being drummed into us now for decades, the typical and medically endorsed method to prevent detrimental health effects from the sun has been to use Sunscreen. But as many independent health experts have been pointing out for some time now – sunscreen is toxic to the body – a new study seems to back this claim up.
‘It took just one day of use for several common sunscreen ingredients to enter the bloodstream at levels high enough to trigger a government safety investigation, according to a pilot study conducted by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, an arm of the US Food and Drug Administration.’ [source]
The study, published on Monday in the medical journal JAMA, also found that the blood concentration of three of the ingredients continued to rise as daily use continued and then remained in the body for at least 24 hours after sunscreen use ended.
The four chemicals studied were avobenzone, oxybenzone, ecamsule and octocrylene – however, what has not been determined by the study is the effects these chemicals may have on the body when absorbed.
So-called experts funded by the industry downplay the results of the study and encourage people to continue using sunscreen, however even with what we know prior to the study there is little reason to ever apply these toxic substances to our bodies – for example:
- Vitamin A derivative, retinyl palmitate, that is often used in sunscreens was shown to speed up the growth of cancerous cells by 21%.
- Many sunscreens also contain methylisothiazolinone, which the American Contact Dermatitis Society named as its “allergen of the year”
- Laboratory studies indicate that some chemical UV filters may mimic hormones.
Sunscreen undeniably helps to avoid sunburn, but its prevention of cancer has never been proven and a study in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics reports that:
Sunscreens protect against sunburn, but there is no evidence that they protect against basal cell carcinoma or melanoma. Problems lie in the behavior of individuals who use sunscreens to stay out longer in the sun than they otherwise would. Vitamin D inhibition is, at this stage, unlikely due to insufficient use by individuals. Safety of sunscreens is a concern, and sunscreen companies have emotionally and inaccurately promoted the use of sunscreens. [source]
The sun is not your enemy, in fact, exposure to the sun has endless health benefits which through the use of sunscreen many are loosing out on.
Good Health and Common Sense
The trick to dealing with the Sun is simply good health and common sense, through a healthy diet and sensible exposure to the sun your body needs no sunscreen whatsoever.
Avoid processed foods, sugar, grains and vegetable oils and a largely organic plant-based diet, under normal circumstances we’d recommend fish for your omega-3 intakes, however, with the waters becoming ever more toxic from the continual leaking of highly radioactive waste at Fukishima we would urge you to avoid Fish. Fortunately, you can get your omega-3 intake from other sources such as Walnuts, Hemp seeds, Seaweed, Kidney Beans and Chia Seeds – just to name a few.
Drink plenty of Water, so many of us forget this obvious and probably most important requirement of the human condition. Water is so important for every aspect of human health and, never more so in the hotter months. So try to drink at least 2 litres of water a day – but again, common sense may urge you to drink far more than this. Listen to your body.
When it comes to exposure, just use common sense. How you approach this will depend on the climate you are living in, but the general procedure would be to begin exposing yourself slowly to the sun as your warmer weather comes in, begin with early morning and late afternoon exposures and limiting midday exposure to no more than a few minutes – ideally avoiding.
As the warmer season progresses you can increase your exposure, on particularly hot days avoid direct skin exposure to sunlight between 11 am and 4 pm as much as possible. But be sure to continue allowing early morning and late afternoon skin exposure where possible.
Your body will become better able to cope with sun exposure if you follow these guidelines. Plus, you’ll not have to put your body at risk from the potential health issues surrounding sunscreen and you’ll get a healthy dose of sunshine to regenerate your body!
Further reading:
- Eat my Sunscreen
- Why (Most) Sunscreen is Harmful
- Sunscreen enters bloodstream
- The good, the bad, and the ugly of sunscreens.
