THE HYPE
In lands as low as ours, abundant sunlight is scarce. So when it does decide to pop up from behind the clouds, we salute it ever so welcomingly, and we worship it like there's no tomorrow. Rightly so, a lot of us work on solar energy, and need those mood boosting rays for vitamin D's and serotonin. Also nearly every one looks better with a tan. We just do. Luckily, however, there is a tomorrow, and for us to be spending the sun-lit hazy days in a concious way, we would like to know how to do this dance in a constructive manner.
THE MYTH
For the past few years we have been taught that exposure to sunlight is rather foolish, that we should slither ourselves in all sorts of creams, protect our skins with all sorts of amandments. But sun is not the villain. It is how we handle it that can cause damage. Everything in moderation applies to this one too.
THE DIY BENEFITS
1. Food is medicine, prevention and remedy. We at the juicery love healing from the inside out, and yet again, you can eat your way to protection.
- cruciferous vegetables: contain an antioxidant called that protects your skin from the UV radation.
- spirulina and chlorella: contains astaxanthin, which protects your skin and eyes(!)
- watermelon, papaya, grapefruit: contain lycopeen, which protect against sunburn.
2. Check how strong the sun is (this website for example) to manouever through or around it in the best way.
3. With store-bought creme:
- Use a mineral based, natural sunscreen. The key minerals to look for are for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide
- Stay away from chemical ingredients like oxybenzone (the main bad guy), and octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate.
- Anything over SPF 50 won't make a difference. SPF is not the level of how strongly you are protected, but how long it protects you. No cream can reach an amount of time that is more than 50 times multiplied the ususal.
3. To make your own:
- Sunscreen. Time to brew up a home-made natural concotion to protect your skin. This one is light on the SPF but when you stay at it with putting it on your skin it does the job wonderfully effective and will not let down even the lightest skin types.
Melt the beeswax in an old pot placed into a large pot with boiling water. Add the coconut oil and wait until it's almost completely liquid.
Pour the beeswax and coconut oil into a food processor (I use one specifically for all my DIY recipes). Add the other ingredients and blend well. Pour your sunscreen into a clean Mason jar, store in a dry, dark and cool place and use like regular sunscreen.
- After sun:
Aloe vera is the best of the best in this case. Lavender has been found to soothe sun burn too.