Green Beauty Tip #6

Sun Block & Self Tanners

As you have heard, sun protection is essential in maintaining the beauty and health of your skin and body. What you may not be aware of is that chemical-based sunscreens could be contributing to the rise in malignant melanoma. You heard right, those chemical sun protectors you have been told to slather on over the past decade can actually be doing you more harm than good.

Why? Current research shows that chemical sunscreens protect us from harmful UVA rays for the first 20-30 minutes or so after application. After that they sink into the lower layers of the skin allowing UVA rays to penetrate more deeply.

Let’s briefly cover UV rays. UVB rays are the rays emitted by the sun that affect the top layers of the skin, causing sunburn. UVA rays penetrate more deeply, causing long term damage, like premature aging and cancer.

So how do we protect ourselves from this nasty radiation? We need to start thinking sun block rather than sun screen. Safe natural mineral sun protection products made with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide not only are free from toxic cosmetic ingredients, but form a physical barrier on the skin from UV rays.

If you have tried mineral sun block in the past you may have experienced the ghostly white-ness that zinc oxide produces. Probably not the look you are going for, plus it gets on your towels, car seat, etc. Mineral sun blocks have come a long way in recent years, delivering safe sun protection without the white after-glare, and providing protection even after hours in the sun. Zinc used in nanoparticle form leaves behind no white residue. The controversy over nano-technology boils down to whether it is coated with plastic or natural material, and all sun blocks listed below use natural coating nanoparticle zinc.

Now let’s talk Sun Protection Factor (SPF). SPF has been, and often still is, advertised as “the higher the number, the better the protection”. But this is not quite accurate and can give users a false sense of security, leading them to stay out in the sun longer thinking they are adequately protected.

Follow this easy to use guide to determine which SPF is right for you:

• Fair skin – can stay in the sun 10 minutes before burning
• Olive skin – can stay in the sun 15 minutes before burning
• Dark skin – can stay in the sun 20 minutes before burning

Now multiply SPF by the number of minutes you can stay in the sun before burning. For example: (SPF) 20 x 10 (Fair skin) = 200 minutes (amount of time you can stay in the sun before burning if you have Fair skin and use an SPF of 20).

There are many choices when it comes to safe sun protection, but these are cream of the crop:

Lavera sun protection products are made with organic ingredients, super effective and include products for the whole family. Choose from spray, lotion, a sun care product for face with moisturizing and anti-aging benefits and a sun block for the kids. I love the convenience of the spray and it is very kind to sensitive skin.

Soleo Sunscreen goes on easily and is water-resistant for up to 3 hours. This is the one my kids prefer!

You can find more safe sun care at Saffron Rouge, but the two brands listed above are my top choices.

Now for the fun part…Sunless Tanner. It’s true, you can get a tan in a bottle without chemicals. And, bonus, no streaks or orange palms. Lavera makes the best of the best in self tanners and I use them year round. Any body looks better with a little color.

Lavera Self Tan Lotion is as easy to apply as your body lotion and just as moisturizing. Skin is left with a natural glow and the product smells fresh and yummy. I use it on my arms, legs and stomach for a body-confidence booster.

Lavera FACES Summer Glow Self Tan is for the face and gives a subtle, natural-looking hit of color even on pale, sensitive skin. Use every other day to maintain color and can be used in place of your usual day time moisturizer.

New to the list is the Glow & Go Spray Self Tan and I had the opportunity to try it out this week. Works as well as the lotion, but has a lighter consistency and a little bit of glimmer for instant gratification.

I am sure there are other organic self tanners on the market, but I have not looked any further than Lavera because they work so well. You will be more than pleased with these products.

Now that you are safely protected and you’ve got your glow on, get out there and enjoy the springtime weather. And remember, you get vitamin D from the sun which boosts the immune system and cell production, so be sure to get up to 15 minutes unprotected sun exposure each day.

Image:  kirikiri at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license.