Surviving The Sun

Summertime is here!  Many of us enjoy time in the sun and one of the outcomes is sunburn!  It’s best to avoid getting sunburned, rather than endure the smiting consequences.  But if you do spend too much time in the sun, try some of these  natural remedies to soothe your skin. Following are benefits and risks of sun exposure with  suggestions to avoid and treat this painful over-exposure.

Benefits of the Sun-Rays

If the exposure to sunlight is moderate, the benefits outnumber the dangers. First of all sunshine has a good effect upon the mental health and well-being, both due to the visible light and to the warming effect.

The UVA rays in the sunlight stimulates the skin to produce vitamin D. This vitamin is necessary for the normal composition, growth and regeneration of bone tissue. When adequate levels of vitamin D are lacking in the body, the bones tend to lose calcium and get thinner and weaker. Newer findings suggest that many people do not get enough of this vitamin through the diet or do not absorb enough from the intestines, and need sun exposure to get adequate levels of vitamin D.

Newer findings also suggest that moderate amounts of sunshine does not promote the occurrence of skin cancer. On the contrary, in moderate amounts, exposure to sunshine seems to help prevent cancers of several types.

The benefit that most people go for when engaging in sunbathing is the browning effect. This effect comes from the UVA rays stimulating the melanocytes in the skin to produce more of the brown pigment - melanine. The increased amount of melanine will protect the skin against the harms of sun-rays, and make you tolerate greater amounts of sun before harmful effects occur.

The sun rays also stimulate the upper layer of the skin to grow thicker, and this makes the skin more robust against damage. As long as this thickening is moderate, the thickening is a good effect.

Natural Remedies
~for those times when you have enjoyed too much sun~

• Aloe. The inner gel of the aloe vera leaf has been shown to speed the healing of radiation-induced burns. Scoop the gel directly from split leaves or buy commercially prepared gel at a health food store or herb shop. Apply aloe gel after showering, then reapply it a few more times each day until the pain has subsided.  Store the gel in the refridgerator.  Cold gel feels wonderful.

• Cucumber. The cool cucumber is often used for soothing burns, simply slice open a cucumber and wipe it directly onto your skin.

• Calendula. Research shows calendula flowers speed the healing of burns by stimulating the growth of new skin cells, closing wounds and reducing inflammation. You can buy commercial skin creams containing calendula at many health food stores.

• Plantain. Plantain contains allantoin, a proven healer of injured skin cells.

• Vitamin E. This nutrient is popular for anti-sunburn activity. Try a cream containing vitamin E to soothe sunburned skin.

Safe, Healthy Sunning

The sun radiates light to the earth, and part of that light consists of invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays. When these rays reach the skin, they cause tanning, burning and other skin damage.

Sunlight contains three types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC.

Ultraviolet (UV) rays are an invisible form of radiation. They can penetrate your skin and damage your skin cells. Sunburns are a sign of skin damage. Suntans aren't really healthy either. They appear after the sun's rays have already killed some cells and damaged others. UV rays can cause skin damage during any season or at any temperature. They can also cause eye problems, wrinkles, skin spots, and skin cancer. 

It’s also wise to be proactive and take steps to protect your skin from sun damage, while still making sure you still get a healthy dose of sunshine. The sun is our chief source of vitamin D, which protects us from a variety of ailments, including osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure. Sunscreens block UVB rays, the wavelength that stimulates the skin’s vitamin D production.

Ultraviolet light from the sun comes in two types: UVB waves, which are shorter, and UVA rays, which are longer and able to penetrate skin more deeply. Many products offer no protection from UVA rays, which are responsible for skin damage and aging. According to the Environmental Working Group, just 16 percent of sunscreens on the market are both safe and effective at blocking both UVA and UVB radiation. In fact, a sunscreen’s SPF only reflects its ability to block UVB rays.

According to Michael F. Holick, of the Boston University School of Medicine, properly applied sunscreen reduces the skin’s vitamin D production by 95 percent. Holick advises knowing your skin’s sensitivity, and acting accordingly. For instance, if you turn pink after 30 minutes in the summer sun, then spending five to ten minutes in the sun (in a bathing suit) should generate plenty of vitamin D. After that, apply sunscreen, cover up or seek shade.

Babies and Children

High ultraviolet radiation levels mean that even when babies are outdoors for very short periods before 10 am and after 4 pm with small amounts of skin exposed, they are likely to receive enough ultraviolet radiation exposure to maintain healthy vitamin D levels even with the use of sun protection.

Exposure To Sunlight When Pregnant

When pregnant, the skin becomes more fragile and more susceptible to the effects of sunlight.  Due to the immediate increase in hormone levels, precautions should be taken from the very beginning of a pregnancy.

Pregnancy induces many changes in your body, which may include changes in your skin. During pregnancy, certain hormones, such as estrogen and melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), are increased. These hormones can affect many organs, including your skin. Even without tanning, some pregnant women experience brown blotchiness on the face, called chloasma or the "mask of pregnancy" -- and tanning increases the risk that it will appear. Some pregnant women experience a prominent black line extending down the middle of the abdomen, known as the linea nigra ("black line" in Latin). Since these darker patches fade but do not always go away, the increased sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation during pregnancy should give expecting moms second thoughts about basking in the sun.  A pregnant Mamma's skin will also be far more susceptible to sunburn than usual and surprise them. 

What are the risks to the unborn baby?

There are insufficient studies to provide a definitive answer to this, but it is generally thought that there are no direct dangers to the developing baby. Having said that, exposure to UV light has been linked to reduced folic acid levels. Folic acid is vital for the early development of the unborn baby during the first eight to ten weeks and it can be broken down by bright sunlight. Another issue to take into account is overheating and/or dehydration... Lying in the sun can cause the body to overheat, which is not safe for the baby, so when going out into the sun, never allow the body to heat up too much and drink plenty of fluids.

Sunscreen Ingredients

Be aware that all sunscreens are not created equal. Some sunscreen ingredients can cause skin irritation, while others could disrupt your body’s endocrine systems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates some sunscreen products as drugs, and some as cosmetics, which have less stringent approval requirements. While the FDA created a monograph for safer sunscreens in 1999, the guidelines were never finalized.

Many environmental groups have expressed concern that certain sunscreens contain “micronized” ingredients, or nanoparticles, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that are manipulated to smaller particle sizes. Some research on micronized titanium dioxide indicates that it may cause more DNA damage than larger titanium dioxide particles, particularly if it enters the body through cuts or inhalation. Because nanoparticles operate on the quantum level, their behavior and absorption by the body may differ from larger particles of the same substance because they’re so small. To be safe, avoid products with micronized ingredients and never apply sunscreen to cuts.

To find out which products contain the safest ingredients and provide the best sun protection, check out these useful resources:

Environmental Working Group’s database of sunscreen products
     http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php

Environmental Working Group’s Sunscreen Special Report
     http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/protection.php

Friends of the Earth’s Nanotechnology page
     http://www.foe.org/camps/comm/nanotech/

The Green Guide Product Report on Sunscreens and Sunblocks
     http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=27

The Green Guide: Reading the Micro-Fine Print
     http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/120/sunscreen

Compiled, Written and Submitted by Susan Oshel, CPM

REFERENCES
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Information also referenced from Books, Journals and Studies by:
Michael F. Holick, of the Boston University School of Medicine
Medline Plus
Herbert P. Goodheart, MD
Amos Grunebaum, MD