SUN: Cancer Causer or Conquerer?

There is WAY too much misinformation out there about the sun. I remember growing up hearing the sun was what caused skin cancer and that the absolute healthiest thing I could do was to put on the highest SPF commercial sunscreen possible. That’s all I heard through nursing school as well. You can only imagine how excited all of my nursing professor’s were when companies came out with a 100 SPF Sunscreen!!

Today, I want to straighten out a few facts about the sun and give you a few tools to have fun in the sun all summer long!

So, what’s the deal with the sun anyways? Where did the whole “Fearing the sun” thing start and why? Is it really dangerous? Think about it for a minute. Why do you put that creamy solution on your body? Maybe it’s to prevent a sunburn, which is a legitimate concern, I am definitely not a supporter of sunburns. BUT did you know between the sun rays and that bottle of Coppertone, there is only 1 of those that has been proven to prevent and even fight skin cancer (and other cancers!) and the other has been proven to increase your risk?

The SUN is actually incredibly GOOD for you!!

So, why all of this propaganda against the sun? Well, I’m going to let you connect the dots, but think about the following facts…

  • Sick people make pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars.
  • Healthy people make pharmaceutical companies no money.
  • Pharmaceutical companies are intertwined with the FDA, government, and major companies in the world that manufacture supplies.
  • UVB from the sun is the ray that is health promoting and feeds our body’s Vitamin D. UVA is the type that has been shown to be more dangerous and lead to burns, aging of the skin, and melanoma. Many sunscreens do not accurately block UVA, only UVB.
  • Chemicals in traditional sunscreens have been PROVEN to increase your risk for various cancers including skin cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.
  • When you wear these chemicals in the sun, they bake into your skin and go DIRECTLY into your bloodstream.
  • Vitamin D from the sun is incredibly GOOD for you and necessary to have a ninja-like immune system. When you use these traditional sunscreens, they prevent the Vitamin D from being absorbed into your skin.
  • When people get sick from toxic cancer causing chemicals and a lack of Vitamin D, usually they purchase or need pharmaceutical products, depending on the illness, sometimes it’s a SINGLE dose of a $30,000 chemo drug.

Dr. Mercola addresses a few of these dangerous chemicals found in regular sunscreens…

Oxybenzone is one of the most troublesome ingredients found in the majority of sunscreens. According to EWG’s findings, 56 percent of sunscreens contain this harmful chemical. Its primary function is to absorb ultraviolet light. However, oxybenzone is also believed to cause hormone disruptions and the type of cell damage that can provoke cancer.

 

Retinyl palmitate, a type of vitamin A, is another high-risk ingredient found in many sunscreens. According to a recent CNN reportii:

“Government-funded studies have found that this particular type of vitamin A may increase risk of skin cancer when used on sun-exposed skin. However, these reports have been in mice and evidence has been inconclusive for humans.”

According to the research compiled by EWG’s chemical database, however, retinyl palmitate gets a classification of “high concern” due to its developmental and reproductive toxicityiii. Research indicates that retinyl palmitate is readily absorbed by your skin. According to a report by the National Institutes of Healthiv:

“Cosmetic formulations containing retinyl palmitate are substantially more stable than those containing retinol. Furthermore, retinyl palmitate readily penetrates into the epidermis and dermis. In vitro measurements of retinyl palmitate’s percutaneous absorption indicate that 18 percent of retinyl palmitate, topically applied in acetone, penetrates human skin within 30 hrs.

Percutaneous absorption of retinyl palmitate in currently marketed cosmetic products may be still greater due to the considerable efforts of cosmetics formulators to maximize the effectiveness of products containing retinyl palmitate and retinol.

Studies indicate that absorbed retinyl palmitate is readily hydrolyzed to retinol by cutaneous esterases. In addition, skin contains the enzymes required for further metabolism of retinol to retinaldehyde and retinoic acid, and some studies have shown that levels of retinoic acid in the skin can increase following topical application of retinyl palmitate or retinol.” [Emphasis mine]

Read More here- http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/04/astaxanthin-as-sunscreen.aspx

 

Two other dangerous ingredients that I’ve mentioned before are parabens and fragrance.

  • Parabens were found in 99% of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology. That’s a HUGE number! Parabens are chemicals found in common cosmetics (Make up, lotions, soaps, hair products, shampoo, conditioner, sunscreens, medication, etc). These chemicals mimic estrogen in the body and completely throw off your hormonal balance. THIS is a massive reason why we have SO many women with hormonal imbalance. And as this study shows, they are a huge risk for cancer.

Toxic Sunscreens

5 Fun in the Sun Safe Alternatives

  1. Try to get in the sun with as much of your skin showing as possible for at least 20 minutes per day with no sunscreen.

  2. Avoid getting sunburns. Do this by applying non-toxic sunscreen when in the sun for long periods of time. Read more about safe brands here- http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/

  3. Eat nutrient-dense foods, especially dark leafy greens. Plant-based whole foods have been shown to decrease chances of sunburn and even skin cancer.

  4. Use coconut oil and pure aloe on the skin. These two substances are phenomenal for skin health and help to prevent burn and heal the skin if you do experience some redness.

  5. Choose a sunscreen NO HIGHER than 50SPF and preferably 30SPF or lower.

Here are some additional resources on keeping you and your family safe in the sun:

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/04/astaxanthin-as-sunscreen.aspx

https://blogs.nicholas.duke.edu/internshipblogs/shielding-yourself-from-the-sun-with-toxic-sunscreen/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/the-toxic-truth-of-sunscr_n_590516.html

In Health, Hope, & Happiness,

a sig

 

 

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