My amazing SIL Jill told me about a book she has been reading. The author is linking skin cancer to sunscreen, basically saying to stay away from sunscreen. It’s weird because the last few months I’ve been thinking a lot about this concept. The sun is good for every other living life form on our planet, why wouldn’t it be good for us to a certain extent?
In the book Jill is reading the author recommends building up a gradual base tan, even recommending tanning beds a little at a time. Avoid getting burned. Pretty simple concept. He says when we use sunscreen we stay in the sun a lot longer than we should, and our deeper layers of skin where melanoma forms is unprotected this whole time, even though we are not getting burned. You can buy the book on Amazon here is you are interested in learning more about it. Here is a great article from the Institute of Natural Healing on this concept….
Advice from certain websites promoting sunscreen say that if you’ve had more than five severe sunburns in your lifetime you are more at risk for melanoma….I don’t think I can remember all the severe sunburns I have had! But a part of me wonders if these severe sunburns were my body’s defense mechanism protecting itself….
I know I am happier than ever when I can spend some time in the sun and soak up some Vitamin D. I know that I believe all the chemicals in sunscreen and A LOT of other beauty/body products CANNOT possibly be good for us.I know that the major beauty companies sure spend A LOT of money on cancer research. I know that my grandma, who is 93 years old and has lived her whole life in the sun without sunscreen, has not had a history of melanoma skin cancer. I know that I’ve had a lot of major burns in my life and am probably screwed but at least I can hopefully make a difference in my son’s life if I am able to practice “safe sun!” 🙂 Which simply means to not stay in the sun long enough to get a bad burn. Pretty simple! Cover up or go inside for a while. Use lots of pure Aloe Vera and good body oils to hydrate your skin. Drink lots of water! And have a funnnnnnn Spring and Summer!
Tootles–Anna
Thanks for this info! I have wondered myself what the outcome will be of children who have never been exposed to sun. Sunscreen is such a new thing, because I am 30 and I know my parents didn’t slather me every morning, well not even before a Wet n’ Wild day in the sun extravaganza. My kids have been sunburned less than ten times in their lives, and it makes me curious to see where our skin health will be in say 30 years when all the sunscreen sheltered children are adults??? Something to think about and nonetheless I like getting a little sun!!!! Thanks for the info!!!
That’s a very good (or bad) thought—what will happen to our children? It seems like when Westin gets a sunburn his skin recovers a lot quicker than mine!
I read that our skin needs to see the sun to develop melanin which is good for us in a lot of ways….I really need to read that book!
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