Stop the Sunscreen

Every time I am headed to the lake, going camping or hiking, or spending a long period of time out in the sunshine, everyone always tells me to REMEMBER MY SUNSCREEN.

Sunscreen..... The magic rub or spray for your body to protect against the vicious skin cancer that chases you everywhere. God forbid you get caught out in the sun without your sunscreen, right?

I haven't worn sunscreen for probably five years. I spend almost every summer day out in the sun and do just fine. I try to limit the things I rub into my skin because skin BREATHES JUST LIKE YOU DO. It absorbs everything you touch onto it, and just like you try to limit your exposure to pollution in the air, you should do the same for your skin.

Most people don't ever take the time to turn their bottle of sunscreen around and look at the ingredients. Do you know what those magical chemicals are that supposedly protect your skin? A majority of well known sunscreens contain the chemical oxybenzone which is absorbed through the skin. This is the nastiest one. It has been linked to hormone disruption and damaging of cells which leads to increased risk of skin cancer.

So the product we are using to save us from skin cancer is actually speeding up the process. 

Now there are a growing number of naturally based and safe sunscreens out there. A few include: Badger all Natural Suncreens, ECO Formula SPF 30+, and Poofy Supernaturals. These can all be purchased online, and I highly recommend you do it for your safety.

An even better idea though is to try and limit the things you rub onto your body at all.

There is a great supplement called Astaxanthin which is an antioxidant found in a great deal of marine animals that give them a deep, red pigment. When taken, it protects your skin and allows you to function in the sun without burning as easily.
Now all bodies and skin types are different. I am aware of that. Some can stay out in the sun for hours and turn into a brown, crispy sun god while others stay out for half an hour and become a red lobster. So experiment a little with exposure. Buy a few safer sunscreens, and take Astaxanthin. Ease into the sun, and let it be your friend.
We haven't lived in buildings forever. We used to be a species that inhabited the outdoors and lived our lives under the sun. We are meant to be out there, so let's take baby steps back into the world. Stop being afraid of the damaging sun, and start throwing away your harmful sunscreen.