Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sun... friend not enemy.



Growing up, I don't every remember getting slathered with sunblock the moment I stepped outside. I remember living outside in the summer. AZ summers. If we had too much sun, we came indoors. Today, kids are loaded down before they even step outside. It doesn't matter if they are going to be out for 10 minutes of 2 hours. It is just something moms are told to do.

The problem is that sunblock=chemicals. Your skin being the largest organ, soaks it all in and those nasty chemicals get absorbed right into its magnificent cells.
We aren't warned. The FDA isn't giving us any facts. We just accept that is something we should do. 

WRONG.

Why? Well, the obvious; you don't want those chemicals in your system. Horrible stuff. Second, you need D3 from the sun. The sunblock actually prevents you from absorbing the D3 that is so vitally important for every cellular function that we have. Over 85% of us are actually D deficient. It can lead to so many disorders. You don't truly absorb the D3 to the right level until the skin starts to turn a little pink. A little pink is good. 

What do you do? Practice sun safety. Use sunscreen, and a good natural one if you can, when you have to use it. For us, that means when we are going to be outdoors all day at the beach or the lake or are turning too pink and need to be out a little longer. Other than that, go outside after or before the peak sun hours of the day. I have never used sunblock when we swim after 3 or before 11. If we are out for an hour in the hot times of the day, I don't bother as well. Now, I know some burn faster than others. For this, swim shirts and hats are wonderful and seeking shade works wonders as well. Your body will tell you when yo have had to much and listen to those ques. 

Let the little ones get their sun. Let them absorb the D. Don't be afraid of a little pink in their cheeks. We don't want them burned but some color is a  good thing. 

Check labels for natural sunscreen like Soleo brand sunblock. Sure , it costs more but if you are using it less, it will even out a bit. I admit that I still use some junk kind when we are at the beach now and then but I try to keep this at a very minimum. I am still working towards all natural perfection. Maybe this year will be the beach year of Soleo sunscreen only. Yep. I just decided. 

(There, Rachel, I posted. Hope I made your night!)

13 comments:

Tiff Hunt said...

THANK YOU!! I'm going to pass this information along!!

Wendi and Matt said...

We used coconut oil on our trip to Cali and I got burnt on back and neck since those places never see the sun but my 15 month old was just a little pink. He's now tan. I love coconut oil!!!

rachel said...

wow, just for me!
you're funny shari.
thanks for making me smarter.

Liesl said...

I just got a pretty bad burn on my girls weekend because I don't use sunscreen and didn't cover up when I should have. HOWEVER, I am in complete agreement with you. My friends were surprised that I don't use sunscreen, but I got sunburned out of my own irresponsibility. I still feel better about not using it, even if I wasn't as smart about it as I should have been. Thanks for your post!! It makes me feel less weird. :)

Anonymous said...

You only need 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the sun in your face, legs, or arms twice a week to get the appropriate amount of Vitamin D. There are chemicals in sunblock that are absorbed, but they are all safe to use. The risk of skin cancer I would think is much worse, and a real risk that affects so many people.

Shari Goodman said...

Wow, anonymous, really? All safe for our skin? Are your reading anything or just believe what the FDA says. In fact, it is being widely studied now and you can find volumes and volumes of evidence of harm it can cause. Do your research. Don't believe what a sunblock company tells you. Also, it is recommended that you get 30 minutes a day of a good 30% of your body exposed to get the right levels of D3.

Jacob Malone said...

What exactly is wrong with what the FDA tells us? They have scientists who have devoted their lives to research and protecting the American population. You shouldn't believe thing just because there is research and 'volumes of evidence' if we did that then we should believe in all the ufo landings that have been researched and widely publicized about. There is way more evidence to prove them real. The FDA is a government agency and represent our government. As a matter of fact, this month June, 2011 the FDA passed new regulations for sun screen labels. Did you check their site? Or do you just believe biased research? They use peer reviewed, fact-based research from credible sources, and act to protect us from potential threats. What credentials did you have in this matter? Have you conducted research? What findings have you found? Were they peer reviewed by a board of other authorities on the subject?

Shari Goodman said...

The FDA does have scientists but do not be fooled, it is run by big money. There is lots of info that is hidden or not talked about. It does do some good and I am not all against it but I find it ridiculous that most other countries ban so much that gets through our FDA mostly because of money. If you research chemicals, you will know what not to buy. You CANNOT go wrong with going as natural as possible. Remember when the FDA said Nutra Sweet was good or let us consume food dye's saying they were totally fine. Now, they are backpeddling. The world is run by money. I will NEVER trust the FDA. I am sure there are great scientists there but I don't believe for one minute that their findings are always getting to us and that they are there for our good only. That is why I read all the time and study for myself.

Terri Burges Hirning said...

When Australia's national health service did an intensive campaign to get people to wear sunscreen about 15 years ago, melanoma rates actually went up rather than down. The FDA also approves "meat glue", arsenic in chicken and poison on our strawberries. You cannot blindly trust an organization, no matter how many scientists they have. Follow the money trail and think for yourself! That's why when companies export to THIS country they have a different (i.e. more TOXIC) formula that they can send whereas in other countries the standards are higher and some of these chemicals and food additives have long since been banned. Why? Because the RESEARCH from scientists all over the world shows that they are harmful. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Jodiane said...

i love this one....just one of the things we are told to do, and obey. A little critical thinking does a person good in this corporate driven world. I too believe in the sun. And although some wouldn't go so far, I believe sunblock is just another cog in the great health conspiracy which takes our money when we buy products that make us sick....leading us to the hospital eventually to pay more money.

Malorie Hinkey said...

I am curious; exactly which chemicals in sun block are bad for us? I would like to conduct my own research, and would like to know what to look for on labels.

Shari Goodman said...

Malorie,

I did a new post today linking an article that will list the harmful ingredients and why they are bad for us. There is also lots of good info in the article. Thanks for the comment! I am sure many had the same question.

Like to see people do their own research!

the DeCampos Family said...

i think i need to send this to my mother in law since she is always making such a big deal to me! thanks!