healingways Natural Summer
Skin Care Protective Tips for Sunny Days
by Kathleen Barnes
N
ow that much-anticipated beach vacations, gardening, outdoor sports and other outside summer
activities are on our calendars, it’s time to practice ways to protect skin from sun damage. The medical profession has re- ported loud and clear that too much exposure causes dryness, wrinkling, premature aging and even skin cancer. Yet, many people don’t understand that certain types of medications, among other factors, can increase sensitivity to the sun’s rays. People of all types of skin can be susceptible to allergic reactions to sun exposure, and contrary to popular belief, dark-skinned people are not immune. There are many ways to protect skin
from overexposure, burning, drying and wrinkling, and careful use of safe sun- screens is one of the best.
Sun Protection from Without
Yale dermatologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author of The Wrinkle Cure, strongly recommends natural non-chemical sun- screens such as “physical” blockers titani- um dioxide and zinc oxide, not chemical sunscreen formulations, for everyone that plans to spend more than a few minutes in the sun. He states, “The benefit of a physical sunscreen is that it acts like tiny mirrors—deflecting all spectrums of the radiation away from the skin, including the dangerous ultraviolet [UV] rays.” Taking commonsense steps can
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reduce exposure to both sun damage and sun-blocking products that have, among other synthetic chemical ingredients, paraben-based preservatives and can carry health risks, says medical researcher Elizabeth Plourde, Ph.D., author of Sun- screens are Biohazards: Treat as Hazard- ous Waste. Plourde supports Australia’s Victoria- based SunSmart program, credited with preventing more than 100,000 skin can- cers and saving thousands of lives since its inception 32 years ago, in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of skin cancer, according to Cancer Council, Aus- tralia. Effective UV protection has come from the increased use of hats, sunglasses and protective clothing, including neck- to-knee swimsuits for children. Rather than use chemicals, Plourde is among the health advocates that sug- gest sun worshippers seek shade, cover up and avoid sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; be extra-careful when the UV index is high; find the daily National Weather Service forecast assessing the risk of sun overexposure at
epa.gov/sunwise/uvin- dex; take extra precautions near water, snow and sand, because they reflect and substantially intensify radiation; avoid tan- ning products or tanning beds, even those advertised as safe; and wear tightly woven, dark, clothing for maximum sun protec- tion. Lightweight denim is a good choice.
Skin Protection from Within Numerous studies show that specific foods can help provide natural sun protection, working from the inside out, including a class of foods incorporat- ing carotenoids, which give rich colors to fruits and vegetables. According to recent research from Henrich-Heine University, in Dusseldorf, Germany, sub- categories of the nutrients lutein (in dark green leafy veggies) and lycopene (in tomatoes and other pink/red foods) are among the most powerful antioxidants. Perricone explains, “Numerous scientific studies from around the world show that oral supplementation with carotenes, especially lycopene and betacarotene, improve skin structure, have powerful wound-healing properties and offer great protection from damage caused by sunlight.” Because inflam- mation is a major cause of many types of skin damage and premature aging,
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