Sun Protection Guide

 

Bio-Individuality and Sun Protection

The most important factor in your health is your individual make-up and needs. I have three children, and two of them are daughters. My older daughter has fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. My younger daughter has darker skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. They have very different experiences with the sun. I have to protect my older daughter in different ways, and I can be more relaxed with my younger daughter because her skin is more hardy in the sun. She gets brown, and doesn’t burn. 

Keep this in mind when considering the sun and protecting yourself and loved ones. Some of us have more tolerance, while others do not.

The Sun and Vitamin D: What Burns Our Skin?

Everyone should go outside in the sun for 15-20 minutes without sunscreen each day when possible. This has been advised by various health professionals who have studied the positive effects of short-term sun exposure without protection. Doing this manufactures vitamin D in our bodies, as well as in animals. 

If you want to try something I learned from my own health coach, you can replace sunscreen with coconut oil on your skin when outdoors for shorter lengths of time. It will assist with defending you from free radicals and protect your skin without blocking the benefits of the sun. 

The key with doing this is you have to watch what you’re consuming and putting on your skin in regard to oils. I talk more about this in my book that I’m revising and editing, but you have to be careful with eating hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils. Use cold-pressed veggie and seed oils only, and balance with with mono-saturated fats and long chain fatty acids like grass-fed butter, coconut oil, lard, tallow, avocado, and cold water fish. The hydrogenated oils increase risk of sunburn no matter what you use.

Seek “shade breaks” if you are outside for long periods of time. Drink plenty of water, and eat vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and healthy protein. Avoid processed foods and processed sugars to protect your body from UV rays.

As Dr. Mercola explains in an article from May of 2022 regarding common nutritional deficiencies, “Not only will regular sun exposure help to optimize your vitamin D levels, but it will also increase melatonin in your mitochondria. This will decrease oxidative stress and increase energy production efficiency. It will also help to metabolize vitamin A and optimize your immune system.” 

He advises that oral supplements should be a last resort, but in my experience with clients, people need oral supplements because they are either:

• not getting outdoors enough.
• are pregnant, nursing, or just had a baby and have serious depletion. As Dr. Mercola also states, we should get our level tested twice a year. Early spring and early fall is the best time because that’s the low point and peak. 

The Best Sunscreens and Preventing Sunburn

From what I have researched and experimented with, I discovered that suffering from sunburn or having damage from the sun is the result of three things:

• a diet that contains too many unhealthy fats, sugars, and processed foods.
• using chemical sunscreens which actually promote damage to your skin because of the chemical interaction between the sun and the toxic ingredients in the sunscreen.
• being dehydrated.

I have followed the advice of the health coach I saw in the beginning of my journey (Janet). Janet told me to:

• apply coconut oil to skin regularly after bathing or during short-term exposure to moisturize and defend skin from free radicals. You only need a little bit because it goes a long way.
• drink plenty of filtered or spring water (especially with lemon for vitamin C).
• eat a diet rich in monounsaturated fats, cold-pressed oils, proteins, and get plenty of vegetables and fruits. This diet helps your skin be able to defend itself from the harmful effects of UV rays.
• use a safe and more natural sunscreen like this.
• take shade breaks when in the sun for extended time.gradually work your way up to being in the sun starting in the spring. Maybe do 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, then 20 minutes, and slowly build your exposure as summer approaches. That way, your skin isn’t shocked by the summer sun.

Do These Sun Protection Guidelines Work?

My family and I have fair to medium skin, and we do not suffer from sunburns if we follow these guidelines. When we know we aren’t doing as great with diet or drinks, or we’re in the sun for extended times, we use a natural sunscreen like the one mentioned above. It works great.

What about the face? An antioxidant-rich daytime serum with vitamin C  also defends skin from harmful rays and supports its ability to renew itself naturally. For more information on coconut oil as a sunscreen, you can check out this article which sites Dr. Bruce Fife’s findings.

If you like using a moisturizer with SPF, you can check out Lemongrass Spa for natural moisturizers with sunscreen, as well as natural sunscreens they carry. They rank highly on EWG for their safety, and their pricing is great. You can also check out Kitchen Stewardship’s site for a fantastic review of the best sunscreens that are natural and safe. Katie has been on her local news stations in recent years sharing her findings on safe and healthy sunscreens. Check it out!

Looking for More?

Check out more advice on personal care for better thyroid health and overall wellness. You can also check out this post on having your best skin.

Please contact me with any questions by using the contact form below.

Disclaimer: Please be advised that this is not medical advice. These suggestions may be vetted with your medical practitioner. The said health coach, Lindsay Koach, is providing guidelines based upon her personal experience and education. Take action at your own discretion. Thank you.