Sunshine and Suncreams

Are we overdoing protecting ourselves from the sun?

With so many health warnings about going out in the sun, for most of us this means taking a hat, shades, sun cream and a long sleeved shirt. Even contact lenses come with UV protection. That’s pretty much all of you protected.

We need sunshine. Sunshine not only lifts our mood but our bodies use it to produce Vitamin D which helps us to utilise the calcium in our body. Lack of vitamin D is on the increase. A lack of this vital vitamin can create problems in the absorption of calcium and therefore may lead to rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency may also increase the risk of certain cancers.

Using sunscreens greatly lowers our production of Vitamin D. Research has shown that we are not getting the protection we perhaps think we are getting from sunscreens. Whilst they may give some protection from the UVB radiation they are not so effective against the harmful UVA radiation.

Another point of consideration is that many sunscreens contain chemicals that may irritate the skin and cause skin reactions, some using petroleum based chemicals that ‘glue’ the screening elements to your skin. I can recall many cases where clients asked me to treat their skin condition around the time they started using sun creams, so I always recommend the use of naturally based ones which are much kinder to the skin.

Whilst bearing the above in mind this does not mean you go without total protection, please be sensible. Here are three key things that you can do to ensure you get good protection whilst getting enough sun: One, avoid being out in the midday sun (or between 11am-2pm); Two, switch to a natural brand sun cream. These contain less irritating chemicals and hormonal disrupters such as oestrogen mimics – the latter can lead to gender bending effects in men and boys. It is relatively easy to switch to a natural brand. Try Weleda, Green People, or Aubrey Organics (all these are available from the Nutri Centre, www.nutricentre.co.uk or mail order 0207 436 5122); Three, use clothing for protection from the sun as this provides a much higher Sun Protection Factor (SPF). The SPF is used to measure how long you can stay in the sun before getting burnt. If you start to turn pink after 20 minutes, an SPF 15 product means that it will extend this time by 15 times (ie 5 hours). An average tee-shirt will give you a SPF of 7, where most fabrics tested in one study showed an SPF of 20 or more.

Personally, I love the sun and I’m getting excited about running my Yoga, Walking and Detox retreat in Spain this month. I’m looking forward to the warmth and sunshine which I know is going to do me wonders… now where’s that sun hat?

Rumana Zahn is a Naturopath and Medical Herbalist and runs clinics in Newcastle (within a GPs practice), Darlington and Seaham Hall’s Serenity Spa. She is a leader within the field of Natural Medicine, writes and speaks extensively on the subject. She can be contacted on 01325 722803 or www.rumanahealth.com

Rumana is a member of the British Register of Complementary Practitioners.

 

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