Sustainable coexistence with the sun continued.

Is tanning “healthy” and can staying in the sun be (un)safe?

Why have I chosen the name of the solarpunk movement for my series of articles, you ask? There are several reasons for it. I would start with the name itself - solarpunk is a movement with an optimistic outlook on the future and life in general which values renewable resources with solar energy in the lead, puts emphasis on sustainability and modernisation, the environment, self-sufficiency and unity of communities, free of individual egos in the main role, but also to imaginative technological progress, glueing everything together with the idea of caring for present as well as future generations (1). This is a philosophy that we at Systers identify with and try to incorporate not only into our articles, but also into the careful selection of our products. The word “punk”, on the other hand, hints at a certain rebelliousness and deviation from the civilisational mainstream. In relation to skin and tanning, I refer mainly to the problem of imprudent sunbathing, sunscreen lotions, and scientific studies with too limited focus. Claims of the harmfulness of sun radiation are omnipresent, but it is very important to take several factors into consideration - your lifestyle, how you compensate for the risks, and what kind of environment you cultivate within and without.

Science has the impressive ability to study things into the tiniest details and extreme depths, but there is one thing no scientist or anybody else should ever forget - to set the obtained information back into the context of the whole body and its environment, in other words, not to ignore the other factors present. This also goes for UV radiation from the sun. Yes, such radiation is very strong for the skin and may have a harmful effect on the cellular processes. However, it comes in a package with other wavelengths with many different effects and, what is even more important, these effects are also affected by your genes, current skin pigmentation, duration and regularity of sun exposure, composition and quality of diet, or the level of toxic load and stress.

Put simply - if you eat a lot of processed foods, there are significantly more omega 6 fatty acids than omega 3 in your body, you sunbathe intensively and in bouts, work indoors under artificial lights and do not spend a lot of time outside, there is no lotion that can save your skin. Be gentle and patient with yourself in this regard, supporting your skin from the inside as well as from the outside, in small steps, holistically, with your entire lifestyle.

In order for sunbathing to be healthy and beneficial, I would much prefer not to call it sunbathing at all, but rather time naturally spent in the sun, while doing some other activity, such as gardening, meditation, or walking. You do not necessarily always have to perform some physical activity in the sun, it is more about realising the time you spend out in the sun and moderately drawing its benefits in the name of longevity, resilience, and a smile on your face. Remember that sunshine is the best medicine, but, the same as with everything, the difference between medicine and poison is in the dose.

The dilemma of sunscreen lotions

There are many different opinions as to how much cream to use, at what age and with what SPF, or whether to use it at all. The one thing most people who know something about the topic would probably agree on is that you should use natural, non harmful products rather than mainstream cosmetics. Many classic sunscreen lotions contain toxic substances which are stored in tissues, contributing to faster ageing and supporting cancerogenic processes, as well as many substances that disrupt the hormonal balance, leading to an oestrogen dominance.

The absorbability through the skin cannot be compared to the absorbability through the intestine, but that does not mean that it is completely negligible! For those of us who are trying to walk on the sustainable path or those who struggle with some chronic health complications, sunscreen lotion is just another piece of the puzzle - if you throw away the wrong piece and find the right one, it will fall perfectly into its place.

First and foremost, you have to consider your skin type and lifestyle. Do you spend time in the sun intensively but not regularly, do you not manage to eat enough fruits and vegetables, do you not spend time in the sun throughout the whole year and have light skin? In that case protecting your skin with a sun cream will be very appropriate. Do you have a lot of stress, irregular lifestyle, are over 35 years old and your skin ages faster? Then you can use moisturisers with SPF. Do you rise and go to sleep with the sun, keep to the shade during noon, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, do not have sensitive skin, and spend a reasonable time in the sun throughout the year? Then perhaps you need no sunscreen at all (which is wildly rebellious for most people nowadays).You know your skin and lifestyle best, which is why nobody can decide for your if and how to use sun creams. No matter where you are on your journey, proceed sensibly and gently. Tailor all advice to your personal experience, and make any changes slowly and gradually, letting your body adapt. Otherwise you will harm yourself.

So what does the SPF number mean and how to make sense of it all? The SPF number indicates mainly the protection against UVB radiation. Protection against UVA which penetrates clouds and glass is usually not accurately indicated. According to EU norms, it should correspond to at least one third of the UVB protection, that is ⅓ of the SPF number.

SPF 30 means that after applying the cream, it will take our skin 30 times longer to get burned than without it. Looking at the percentage of radiation these lotions protect us from may give us a more realistic idea. SPF 15 protects us from 93% of radiation, SPF 30 from 97%, and SPF 50 from 98% of the sun’s radiation. Notice that the protection does not grow linearly, and the same happens with UVA protection - SPF 50 might make us feel unduly safe which can be dangerous. While you might think that the differences between the creams are negligible, believe me that the difference of 1% is very significant, especially with intense radiation with a great amount of photons (think the equator and high altitudes). We should also realise that even if we use sunscreen, we tend to apply too little of it, rubbing frantically at any white spots not to look foolish, and to bring home a nice tan from our holiday, right? Keep in mind that the results of the testing of these products are affected by many factors (including the chosen testing methods) as I mentioned earlier, which is why something different will work for everybody.

What protection did I mean when I mentioned natural sunscreen products? I speak mainly of creams using physical UV filters in the form of inorganic pigments, such as the white powdered titanium oxide and zinc oxide which divert and diffuse UVA and UVB rays. Classic sun creams usually combine these with chemical absorbents that are not safe either for the nature in us or for the nature around us. Another (so far unstudied) risk of inorganic pigments could be their nano form which, granted, does not leave an unsightly white film on the skin, but penetrates the skin easily (2).

A context of plants and supplements

I would like to include the effects of plants in the context of factors. Some of them can make the effects of the sun’s radiation stronger. This is why you should avoid consuming or using hogweed, bistort, perforated St. John’s wort, garden angelica, or parsnip.

In my personal experience and the experience of those around me, we observe interesting effects of the sun in combination with Black Stuff. I suppose that thanks to its strong antioxidative properties and increased absorption of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, it contributes to an active protection of the skin as well as its regeneration. Taking Black Stuff while also eating enough fruits and vegetables might mean that you should be less likely to get burned, but if it does happen anyway, this spray might help with the redness and pain:

Dissolve ⅕ teaspoon of Black Stuff powder in 200 ml of water, pour into a sprayer, shake and apply to the skin.

Try this solution to burns, itching, acne, gum infection, eczema, or psoriasis. Experiment, observe, and play around with the amount of powder and frequency of application.

A list of action steps you can implement in your life (and those you can stop doing)

• Expose the largest possible body surface to the sun throughout the year, especially in the morning before noon and in the late afternoon until sunset - do not stay in the strongest sun. An hour or two in the sun with periods in the shade is more than enough.
• Avoid sudden periods of grilling yourself in the sun - spending the working days without any sunshine and then the weekend on a lounger in direct sun.
• Reduce exposure to blue light.
• Support the quality of your sleep.
• Reduce omega 6 fatty acids intake and the consumption of processed foods.
• Support your immune system and reduce inflammation in your body.
• Increase your intake of antioxidants and minerals through generous portions of fruits (hurray to polyphenols! ????) and vegetables (hurray to beta-carotenes! ????).
• Support all antioxidative activity (for example with Black Stuff or antioxidants by Braineffect from our e-shop).
• Drink enough water with added minerals (add some salt or Quinton’s).
• Consider changing classic sunscreen products for natural creams with physical filters of titanium oxide or zinc oxide.
• Consider not wearing sunglasses so often (except in situations which can be dangerous, for example while driving), and not avoiding random contact with the sun which will give us the adaptation advantage for subsequent longer stays in the sun.
• Do not apply these recommendations only on your “sunbathing day”, but sustainably throughout the year.
• Respect your individuality, find out what is currently the gentlest and most beneficial way for you, and progress slowly, over a long period of time.

Invite the sun to your skin through the right door, and it will enter your very soul. ????

Bibliography:

(1) https://solarpunk.cz/co-je-solarpunk/ 

(2) http://www.kapkakrasy.cz/