The Sun is Sexy Again! Science: Sunlight Could Reduce Death Rate From All Causes

I'm grabbing the baby oil and sun in and heading out.

Chemicals in over the counter sun screens contain chemicals that penetrate the skin and enter into the bloodstream. Not enough research exists about the safety and potential dangers of those chemicals.

It's still better to use commercial sun screen than nothing to prevent burns but there may be natural options. I've heard of:

Olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter. Drink fresh juices with lots of Vit C before sun-bathing. Aloe Vera is very good for applying after sun.

Please share if you know of any natural sun screen recipes.

A few natural oils that have proven SPF and skin protection benefits:

--Carrot Seed Oil
--Raspberry Seed Oil
--Wheat Germ Oil
And as mentioned above, coconut seed, olive oil is a good one. Also some to consider - Hemp oil, avocado oil.

In addition to the oils you want to add a butter such as shea, mango or cocoa butter.
1 ounce of oil mixture
1 ounce of beeswax (provides a binding and waterproofing quality)
1 ounce butter mixture
1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil

This mixture tends to be on the firmer side when it cools, so an applicator similar to a deodorant or squeeze tube like toothpaste would be great for application. And another good way to reduce/reuse what would otherwise be garbage.

- Over a low heat, melt the beeswax and butter, slowly stirring in the oils.
- Remove this from your heat source and allow it to begin cooling.
- Add your vitamin E oil. You can also add any essential oils you desire to the mix at this time. It's good to stick with the skin-health theme, although something with an aroma that reminds you of summer might be nice.

- Pour the mixture into your container and let it set. When it's ready, you should be able to roll it and apply it easily to your skin.

Remember, these are natural products and will not have the same effect as a heavy commercial sunscreen. Don't apply it once and spend 12 hours baking in the desert sun. Give yourself a few days with light exposure to the sun to see how your mixture really works for you.

The final step is Enjoy! We spend far too much time indoors and most of us don't get nearly enough vitamin D. We shouldn't be afraid of the sun. Let's find a way to enjoy it and soak in the rays safely.

[link to www.naturalblaze.com]

Good idea on the natural sunscreen only I won't use commercial sunscreen it's prolly poison like every other mainstream product...I doubt a little sun gives anyone skin cancer but I bet that toxic regular sunscreen will...

I don't trust mainstream sources saying you should severly limit your sun...that feels counter-intuitive to me... they prolly have a hidden agenda...sun is natural and healthy...of course everything in moderation...

Agreed.

Toxic ingredients?

The Environmental Working Group says 56% of beach and sport sunscreens contain the chemical oxybenzone. The primary function of oxybenzone is to absorb ultraviolet light, but some research shows oxybenzone can be absorbed through the skin.

The Environmental Working Group and other toxicology experts believe that oxybenzone is linked to hormone disruption and potentially to cell damage that may lead to skin cancer.

The American Academy of Dermatology says oxybenzone is safe.
"Oxybenzone is one of the few FDA-approved ingredients that provides effective broad spectrum protection from UV radiation, and has been approved for use since 1978," said Dr. Daniel M. Siegel, president of the academy.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved oxybenzone in sunscreen for use on children older than 6 months.


The Environmental Working Group also warns consumers to avoid retinyl palminate.

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.

"Consumers get frustrated when there are no alternatives, but the point of this is that you don't have to be completely disheartened, because there are products on the market that don't contain these chemicals," said Leiba.

Broad spectrum
Most dermatologists agree with the Environmental Working Group's recommendation that consumers use products labeled broad spectrum.
Broad spectrum means the product protects against both UVB rays that cause sunburns and also UVA radiation that causes premature skin damage and aging.

"Evidence has shown the best sunscreens are the ones that block UVB and UVA," said Dr. Ariel Ostad, a clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology at New York University Medical Center, and not affiliated with the Environmental Working Group report.

"The majority of these companies that market sunscreen products, they try to make people more aware of the SPF."

Numbers game
The Environmental Working Group said consumers should not purchase sunscreens with SPF greater than 50. SPF (sun protection factor) works by absorbing, reflecting or scattering the sun's rays on the skin.
"It is very misleading to put high SPF numbers on labels because it gives consumers a false sense of security and doesn't offer a lot more protection," Leiba said.
They are right. While SPF 85 may sound like a lot more protection than SPF 30, the higher the number doesn't always give a high return.
Studies show that sunscreen with SPF 15 can block about 93% of all incoming UVB rays. SPF 30 blocks 97%. SPF 50 blocks 98%.


Keep in mind, SPF protects only against UVB rays.
Bottom Line

Here's a quick guide to find the best products to protect your family from the sun:
--Use a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 and a maximum of SPF 50;
--Make sure labels list UVA and UVB (or broad spectrum protection);
--Avoid products containing oxybenzone and retinyl palminate if you're concerned about potentially toxic chemicals;
--Choose lotions versus spray sunscreens for a more evenly distributed protection.
Remember to apply at least 2 ounces of lotion (about a shot glass full) and reapply often. The sun breaks down the ingredients in sunscreen that protect your skin. Experts recommend reapplying every two hours, or after swimming or heavy sweating.

[link to www.cnn.com]

Small things I find more sunlight does for me...sleep better, reduce food cravings/appetite, kills skin fungi, mood enhancing...

I have read getting more sunlight will help us with the changes in consciousness all of us are now experiencing...also read food contains sunlight and your cells need this...hence if you are not getting enough sunlight your appetite may increase causing you to eat more...

The light body gets nourishment from sun particles.

Zinc oxide - a non-toxic, usually non-irritating, effective broad spectrum sunblock. The particles sit on the outermost layer of your skin, scattering and absorbing UVA and UVB rays, protecting the skin below. Use non nano zinc oxide to produce a natural homemade sunscreen.

[link to www.diynatural.com]

Last Edited by Swirling Purple on 06/29/2013 12:54 PM

Coconut Oil said to block UV light spectrum while allowing the goodness to pass.

I love being in the Far North in the summer (well, all year, actually).

The sun's angle of incidence is always low, meaning that we can get
brown without getting crisped. Most of the time (unless out on the water)
I don't need any sunscreen. Just get nice and bronzy - looking.

It's our summer tonic up here in Interior Alaska. Those of us fortunate
enough to spend our summers outside (e.g., farming) are very aware
of all the health benefits we enjoy from our solar exposure.

Store bought D3, is exactly the same as the vitamin D your body produces from sunlight.

The problem with vitamin D supplementation is that you have to know the amount you need to take varying during all times of the year.

you want your vitamin D levels to be between 22-33ng, unless you have a family of prostate cancer than you can kick it up to the 40s to help prevent it.

the sun ages your skin, but do whatever you want I doubt anyone here will listen to actual science.

I don't think that direct and prolonged sun exposure between 11am and 4pm during the summer months is very wise. But moderate sun exposure is quite healthy and I would think the D that is produced naturally that way is better than any supplements. Moderate sun exposure improves skin conditions.

Last Edited by Swirling Purple on 06/29/2013 01:18 PM

What do you think your body consists of? Atoms, Molecules.
The adult human body is ~53% water, and water is ~11% hydrogen by mass but ~67% hydrogen by atomic percent.
The average 70 kg adult human body contains approximately 3 x 1027 atoms and contains at least detectable traces of 60 chemical elements.
Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D. Sunlight cues our brains to produce serotonin.
Every atom, every cell in your body vibrates. You are energy. Study some science and physics before showing a face palm.

Last Edited by Swirling Purple on 06/29/2013 01:28 PM

Does Sunshine Actually Decrease Dangerous Melanoma Skin Cancers?:


[link to articles.mercola.com]



Study Suggests That Sunscreen Could Cause Skin Cancer:


[link to inhabitat.com]

I agree I bet vitamin D from sunlight is better than any vitamin D in a bottle. In fact the cheap stuff in a bottle may not help at all. I don't even trust vitamins anymore from the 'establishment'. It's like when they tell you to drink all that milk for your vitamin D. Yeah right. All that milk is unhealthy for your body. Now the FDA wants to put aspartame in the milk. Saw that on Natural News not to long ago. More insanity.

As with MS, there appears to be a latitudinal gradient for type 1 diabetes, with a higher incidence at higher latitudes. A Swedish epidemiologic study published in the December 2006 issue of Diabetologia found that sufficient vitamin D status in early life was associated with a lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Nonobese mice of a strain predisposed to develop type 1 diabetes showed an 80% reduced risk of developing the disease when they received a daily dietary dose of 1,25(OH)D, according to research published in the June 1994 issue of the same journal. And a Finnish study published 3 November 2001 in The Lancet showed that children who received 2,000 IU vitamin D per day from 1 year of age on had an 80% decreased risk of developing type 1 diabetes later in life, whereas children who were vitamin D deficient had a fourfold increased risk. Researchers are now seeking to understand how much UVR/vitamin D is needed to lower the risk of diabetes and whether this is a factor only in high-risk groups.

There is also a connection with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increases one’s risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A study in the September 2006 issue of Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology demonstrated that in young and elderly adults, serum 25(OH)D was inversely correlated with blood glucose concentrations and insulin resistance. Some studies have demonstrated high prevalence of low vitamin D levels in people with type 2 diabetes, although it is not clear whether this is a cause of the disease or an effect of another causative factor—for example, lower levels of physical activity (in this case, outdoor activity in particular).

People living at higher latitudes throughout the world are at higher risk of hypertension, and patients with cardiovascular disease are often found to be deficient in vitamin D, according to research by Harvard Medical School professor Thomas J. Wang and colleagues in the 29 January 2008 issue of Circulation. “Although the exact mechanisms are poorly understood, it is known that 1,25(OH)D is among the most potent hormones for down-regulating the blood pressure hormone renin in the kidneys,” says Holick. “Moreover, there is an inflammatory component to atherosclerosis, and vascular smooth muscle cells have a vitamin D receptor and relax in the presence of 1,25(OH)D, suggesting a multitude of mechanisms by which vitamin D may be cardioprotective.”

To determine the potential link betwen sun exposure and the protective effect in preventing hypertension, Rolfdieter Krause of the Free University of Berlin Department of Natural Medicine and colleagues exposed a group of hypertensive adults to a tanning bed that emitted full-spectrum UVR similar to summer sunlight. Another group of hypertensive adults was exposed to a tanning bed that emitted UVA-only radiation similar to winter sunlight. After three months, those who used the full-spectrum tanning bed had an average 180% increase in their 25(OH)D levels and an average 6 mm Hg decrease in their systolic and diastolic blood pressures, bringing them into the normal range. In constrast, the group that used the UVA-only tanning bed showed no change in either 25(OH)D or blood pressure.

William Grant, who directs the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, a research and education organization based in San Francisco, suspects that sun exposure and higher 25(OH)D levels may confer protection against other illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), asthma, and infectious diseases. “Vitamin D induces cathelicidin, a polypeptide that effectively combats both bacterial and viral infections,” Grant says. “This mechanism explains much of the seasonality of such viral infections as influenza, bronchitis, and gastroenteritis, and bacterial infections such as tuberculosis and septicemia.” For example, RA is more severe in winter, when 25(OH)D levels tend to be lower, and is also more prevalent in the higher latitudes.

Some reports, including an article in the October–December 2007 issue of Acta Medica Indonesiana, indicate that sufficient 1,25(OH)D inhibits induction of disease in RA, collagen-induced arthritis, Lyme arthritis, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, thyroiditis, inflammatory bowel disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Nonetheless, interventional data are lacking for most autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases, with the exception of TB.

[link to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Bump bump from a sun lover.

What is science other than logic and intuition put to use with matter? I say trust your feelings first, and look to the so-called 'experts' of this world, second. Peace.

Hey there JustinSider.
It's a nice sunny day. Getting ready to spend some time outside.

Science hasn't even begun to understand and explain the effects of sun on humans. And we're constantly evolving, the sun activity is increasing. There are reports of people who were able to live on sunlight. I don't think all of them are true but I wouldn't rule out the possibility. I agree with you to trust your own feelings, intuition and experience before having main stream scientists tell you what is real and what not.

Already knew this and was lucky to be in fl. I am mid 70's and folks were getting the flue all around us and took weeks to kick it.

I got it after painting a boat, weakened my system. Kicked up my nutrients, made strong garlic soup and lay in the sun semi nude for an hour at noon giving me mega dose of vitamin D. In four days, I had beat the flue. Others near me stayed indoors.

Carrot seed oil, sesame oil, and red raspberry seed oil all have a good sun protection factor - 20 to 40 or so - but they are costly. I found the carrot and raspberry on Amazon but it was $50 so I am waiting on it - I'd mix them with the sesame oil, some shea body butter, and aloe vera, although don't want to dilute it (the protective essential oils) too much

Tomatoes contain lycopene which is supposed to be somewhat sun protective, if you eat enough of them

Many prescription medications cause sun sensitivity and/or higher incidences of skin cancer, which is hard to overcome

the nitrous compounds are formed in response to the radiation damage from the sun. the purpose of the NO is to kill opportunistic bacteria that may gain access through the sun injury.

The vitamin D is an immunosuppressive steroid which if taken will further cause bacteria to proliferate by blocking transcription of antomicrobials via the vitamin d receptor.

You may have noticed that people who take lots of steroids also have a lot of nitrous in there joints...the reason why should be obvious now.

If you are prone to developing Solar Keratosis like I am, you will stay out of the sun. I have them on my face and they are hideous. If you are young, fair skinned with blue or green eyes, be aware that the sun exposure that you are getting now can manifest as SK when you are middle aged. Believe me, you don't want SK. It can also be a precurser to skin cancer.

Everyone should listen to their own bodies. Some people have sun allergies. Everything in moderation works as medicine. In excess it becomes damaging. Everyone needs to find out what is right for them. Generally speaking sun light provides many benefits.

So you're advocating against taking Vitamin D?

LOL @ how these threads are worded to get readers.

Yes Vitamin D is very good for you.

DUH