Last week, we started talking about the importance of protecting yourself from the sun. Now, this week we’re going to finish up the subject with some helpful tips and things you can do that aren’t harmful to your body. You can read last weeks article HERE.
When you’re out and about and the sun is strong enough to cause you to burn, make good use of clothing and even wearing a hat to provide protection against the UV rays. Also, try to limit the amount of time you spend outdoors on extremely hot days and when the sun feels the hottest – usually between 11 am and 2 or 3 pm.
When you have to be out in conditions that can cause sunburn and you can’t rely on your clothing and natural shade to protect your skin, use a natural sunscreen that doesn’t have any chemical blockers in it and other all-natural ingredients to protect your skin against sun damage. Try to get a sunscreen lotion that has these ingredients in it.
Green Tea Extract – is an excellent source of naturally occurring antioxidants, and is thought to help protect skin cells against sunlight-induced damage.
Shea Butter – is a highly effective, plant-based skin moisturizer.
Eucalyptus Oil – is an essential oil that moisturizes the skin and facilitates absorption of other healthy oils into your skin to help promote optimal skin tone.
Coconut Oil – is rich in healthy fatty acids that having soothing and moisturizing properties; coconut oil by itself is a highly recommended full body moisturizer.
Sunflower Oil – is also a plant-based oil that aids in moisturizing the skin.
Glycerine – is also a fragrance-free, natural compound that helps the skin maintain a healthy balance of water in its cells and cell membranes.
Xanthan Gum – is a natural plant compound that has hydrating properties and helps keep all of the healthy oils in this formula together.
Vitamin E - is included as a natural preservative.
Vitamin A – is also included as natural preservative. When applied topically, vitamin A is thought to keep skin cells healthy, optimally hydrated, and resistant to damage by sunlight and free radicals.
All of the natural ingredients in an all-natural sunscreen lotion combine to form a water-resistant, hypoallergenic, and highly effective sunscreen. They also usually smell really good and are completely free of any harmful chemicals.
As long as you don’t get burned in the sun, it really is good for you to get some sun exposure on your skin. The Lord did make it to warm our bodies and the earth we live on, so try to take advantage of it once in awhile.
Blessings,
About The Author
I’ve heard of just slathering with pure coconut oil as a substitute sunscreen, although it has to be reapplied every few hours. Does anyone have experience with this, and could tell us if it is effective?
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Hi Miss Emily! We share a name :)
I was wondering, do you have any specific sunscreens to recommend that don’t have any of the harmful chemicals? I have had a hard time finding one like this.
Thanks!
~Mrs. Q
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Thank you!!!
The biggest problem I am having is with the mosquitoes. They are HORRIBLE where I live. I live next to a huge lake so that definitely is part of the issue but EVERYTHING I have tried has not worked. And believe me I have tried everything from the bad stuff (Skin-So-Soft) to the home remedies (incl. Garlic juice).
Any thoughts or suggestions anyone????
Thanks so much.
Sarah
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Jessica's reply:
July 8th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
I heard that lavender oil helps repel mosquitoes… I mixed it in with my shampoo when I went camping to prevent bites on the head when I went camping. I also heard of soybean oil being a very good repellent but haven’t tried that.
I would like to know about this one too though, they are a problem for me too.
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This is a great post! I’m worried about the safety of some sunscreens with all those chemicals, plus I often get allergic reactions to them. I heard that red raspberry oil is also a great sunscreen, with an spf of 28-50 but I’ve never tried it…. has anyone tried it?
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I too have been doing some reading up on sunscreens. parabens, oxybenzone, PABA and retinyl palmitate (synthetic vitamin A) are ingredients you should be aware of. If you go to thedailygreen dot com there are 21 safe sunscreens listed and for sale. I also read if you use a sunscreen choose one labeled Mineral sunscreen. Keep in mind that your body needs vitamin D from the sun light. Approximately 15 to 20 minutes each day. Vitamin D keeps your immune system healthy. Right now I am choosing to stay covered as much as possible and do outside chores when the sun has not yet come up or is low in the sky. Thank you for making folks aware of this issue!
Blessings!
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