May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which is a great time to detox your sun protection strategy as the sunniest months are just around the corner. Check out these nontoxic options and tips from Sophia Ruan Gushee, author of A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures.
Use your diet to fight the sun’s damaging effects.
Various fruits and vegetables offer many nutrients that boost your body’s natural defenses against sunburn and skin cancer. For example, lycopene – of which great sources include watermelon, tomatoes, papaya, pink guava, red bell peppers and pink grapefruit – help sun protection. In one study, 5 tablespoons of tomato paste daily increased protection against sunburns by 33%.
Avoid the sun at its most powerful times of day.
According to the CDC, the hours between 10am and 4pm pose the biggest risk of UV exposure. These are prime hours to seek shade, or to stay indoors. This is especially important when your area’s UV index is a 6 or above (which is considered “high”). To check what your UV index is, use one of the many resources online (like this UV Index Map from weather.com), or download a phone app (I use Haze by Robocat) which will provide UV information, too.
Wear protective clothing.
Protective clothing — along with shade — is your first line of defense! Use hats and clothing that cover your body and protect it from the sun. Keep in mind that light-weight fabrics with low density may not provide much protection, so think twice about what clothing will be a better choice. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, polyester and rayon provide good protection, while refined and bleached cottons do not.
Hats are important, especially since the face and neck are particularly susceptible to common forms of skin cancer! Look for hats with large brims that provide shade to the front, back, and sides of your face, neck, and ears.
Choose healthier sunscreens.
To avoid the harmful chemicals in sunscreen and find healthier options, consider products that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are broad-spectrum (which will guard against both UVA and UVB rays), as well as water-resistant. Avoid sunscreens that contain oxybenzone, vitamin A (AKA retinal palmitate, which may promote the formation of skin tumors and lesions), nanoparticles, and insect repellant (use insect repellant separately since you may need to reapply sunscreen often). Lastly, use the Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen guide to identify products that have a low hazard assessment, and refer to A to Z of D-Toxing for more sunscreen tips.
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit of site readers. The opinions expressed are that of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect my own.