By Amy Lupton

Human beings evolved and thrived under the sun. Sunlight was a constant in people’s lives, warming and guiding them through the days and seasons.

Cultures spent the bulk of our history outside, mostly naked with very little covering. Skin was the primary interface with the world. Melanin & Eumelanin (protective pigments in the skin) would react with UV light and make the skin darker and more resilient to the sun. The skin would thicken in appearance, protecting the body if need be.

When we started to cultivate in more of a permanent settlement as a civilization, human’s relationship with the sun changed. People spent more time indoors, and started protecting themselves from the sun, such as umbrellas, parasols, tents etc. It was even stylish to be pale (mostly in the Asian and royal cultures), so people would paint their skin with clay…almost like a first sunscreen of sorts. Indigenous cultures would cover their skin with clay and dirt to protect from the sun in very high sun areas.

Our ancestors didn’t pull out their tube of sunscreen to be in the sun all day. The first commercial sunscreens didn’t hit mainstream until the 1970’s, and before that, many people didn’t wear sun protection at all. They intuitively stayed inside during hot parts of the day, wore a covering, but still lived a majority of their days outside (definitely not looking at computers and phone screens all day). As you can see from the photo below, a typical beach scene from 1958 looked a bit different than it does today. The rate of skin cancer in 1960 was 1.9 in 100,000 people. Today that number has increased 60%, 27% in the past 10 years.

The Sunscreen Paradox

The "sunscreen paradox” has popped up frequently in medical literature. More and more people use sunscreen, and are indoors more… and yet rates of melanoma and other skin cancers are going up at alarming rates. A majority of people polled that have been diagnosed with skin cancer, do NOT spend ample time in the sun. The average is only 1/15 of the amount of time that someone spent outdoors 50 years ago. That average daily amount of sun exposure today is only 5-15 minutes. Most people live most of their lives indoors, working, working out, etc.

Diet & Skin Cancer

Another thing to ponder is that our ancestors also ate a more nutrient dense diet and NO seed oils. A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention showed that a high intake of polyunsaturated fats — fats found in foods such as soybean, corn, and flax oil, even sunflower — increased the risk of skin cancer by 16%. Additionally, a higher intake of cholesterol containing foods (such as grass-fed meats, eggs, organic whole dairy) was associated with a reduced risk of skin cancer and higher intake of monounsaturated fats (olive oil, avocados) was associated with a reduced risk as well.

Looking at these numbers and reasons above, it does seem to correlate that our lifestyles today do contribute to skin cancer rates.

So how can we become sun resilient?

How can we essentially eat our sunscreen?

And get rid of that toxic tube of sunscreen?

Besides the life-giving necessities such as warmth, plant life, and viable atmosphere, the sun provides nutrients to our bodies in the form of Vitamin D (which has a whole host of benefits such as cancer protection & heart disease prevention), serotonin, sex hormone & melatonin production (key hormones for sleep, well-being, and pretty much all systems of the body), and nitric oxide (a key component in blood pressure regulation & heart health). The sun has also been proven to improve your mood, outlook on life, and overall emotional state.

Eat Your Sunscreen

Research has found certain key nutrients from your diet can actually boost your skin’s natural sun protection and protect your skin from sun damage. Several studies suggest that long-term ingestion of sun-protective vitamins can make a difference in the body’s reactivity to harmful sun rays and lengthen the amount of time your body can be exposed to the sun without receiving damage. (1) And if you eat these foods on a regular basis, it shows a direct relation with sun reactivity. On the flip side, there are foods that can have the reverse effect, making you MORE susceptible to the sun’s harmful rays and sunburn.

Vitamin C- This vitamin is super supportive of the immune system and many of its food contain antioxidants that can help compensate for sunscreen's shortcomings by neutralizing the free-radical damage that sun exposure causes. So again, eat your fruits and veggies, in whole food form (minimizing sugary or processed juices). Citrus(lemons, grapefruits, oranges, limes), strawberries, cherries, peppers, sweet potato.
Vitamin A- This vitamin is a powerhouse, protecting the immune system, and keeping vital organs healthy, such as your vision and reproduction. Vitamin A is naturally found in animal products like eggs, cheese, butter, grass-fed meats and fish. Foods like carrots, spinach, and broccoli, contain carotene, which the body turns into Vitamin A. This vitamin is highly dependent on that you are digesting your fats properly, so if your poop floats regularly, you drink alcohol frequently, or take several pharmaceutical medications, you may want to add a digestive enzyme before eating, or see a nutritional specialist who can help you optimize your fat burning potential.
Vitamin E- This vitamin protects the cells and cell membranes from free radical and environmental oxidative stress. Vitamin E is normally found in the skin, but exposure to sunlight has been shown to deplete this extremely important antioxidant and topical application of it boosts the availability of it. When your Vitamin E stores are up in your body through foods and topical application of Vitamin E, your body can absorb the energy from ultraviolet light and prevent free radical damage to skin. Foods like sprouted nuts, avocados, shrimp, squash, spinach are excellent. Topical application of Vitamin E is also helpful.

Don’t sell yourself short and just concentrate on these foods in the summer sun months! Eating these foods in the winter can repair the summer damage and prep your body for next summer. And remember you are only what you digest! If you aren’t digesting your foods well, its all for not. If you’re unsure about this, reach out, I offer holistic herb and nutrition consultations.

Having a diet high in seed oils and processed oils like soybean oil, vegetable oil, shortening, hydrogenated oils, corn oil, margarine, sunflower oil and safflower oil will make your skin more sensitive to sun damage like we mentioned in the study above. Many boxed foods (even organic and gluten free) will contain these oils, so check your labels. Choosing skincare low in seed oils is important as well. Many skin care items contain these, and if they do, it is best to use your skincare away from sun exposure. If you are an active outdoorsy type, it can be better to stick to a low PUFA skin care routine.

We say this again and again and again… eating a balanced whole foods diet with many colors, veggies and fruits increases your internal sunscreen, and ole fashion sunscreen such as a hat and shade will do wonders.

‌Get rid of that toxic tube of sunscreen

If you need sunscreen, it is very important to get a safe sunscreen that is non-toxic, and doesn’t contain harmful chemicals. Many sunscreens today contain endocrine disruptors (hormone regulators) and nasty chemicals.

Some key things to watch for and AVOID are:‌

Oxybenzone- it causes cellular damage and endocrine disruption
Homosalate- The European Commission proposes a concentration limit of 1.4 percent for homosalate. U.S.sunscreens are currently allowed to have up to 15% homosalate. Avoid any sun protection product that has this in it. (4)
Avobenzone, Octisalate and octocrylene all have records of harmful behavior in sunscreen and skin care products.
Avoid nano sunscreen, look for non-nano such as zinc oxide.
Don’t be fooled by the green washing of the words, natural, safe, organic. These still can contain the above ingredients.
Avoid parabens and food dyes

What does the SPF mean?

The SPF rating only refers to UVB rays. An SPF 15 sunscreen blocks 93% of UVB radiation, and SPF 30 blocks 97%. After that, the difference in protection is small. SPF 50 blocks 98%, and SPF 100 stops 99% of UVB rays from reaching your skin.

In EWG’s article, The Trouble with SPF (3), they state

“SPF values are an unreliable measure of a sunscreen’s effectiveness. A good sunscreen should provide equal broad-spectrum protection, protecting against both UVA and UVB rays. But the SPF value reflects only how well a product will protect from UVB rays, the main cause of sunburn and some skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma. Reducing sunburn was the original intent of sun protection products, but it is now known that some UV rays don’t cause sunburn and instead lead to other health harms. SPF values do not reflect a product’s ability to protect from UVA rays, which penetrate the skin more deeply and are associated with skin aging and cancer.”

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To balance this, you can look for sunscreen that protects from both UVB and UVA rays, many non-toxic sunscreens do, because natural blockers such as non-nano zinc-oxide and saturated oils offer blocking from most of the sun rays, instead of screening.

There has been some buzz in the natural community about the toxic nature of zinc-oxide (whether it be non-nano or nano). Many natural sunscreens use zinc-oxide (Liferoot's Hello Sunshine Balm uses non-nano zinc-oxide in very small portion of the ingredients). Nano zinc-oxide is able to absorb into the bloodstream and is considered NOT safe for ocean and water use (because it can harm reefs and wildlife). Non-nano zinc oxide is too large to absorb into the bloodstream and sits on top of the skin. When combined with low PUFA oils and wax, it essentially becomes a barrier that sits on top of the skin, that isnot absorbed.

Sunscreens high in non-nano zinc oxide will create a white sheen to the skin, even look like there is white paint on the body. Liferoot feels that it is best to use only a small amount of non-nano zinc oxide (5) and do not use nano zinc oxide at all. Itis always best to use naturally rich SPF oils.

‌Get Sun Resilient!

Get Sun Intuitive - Get to know your body and how it reacts to the sun. You don’t want to go outside if you are never in the sun for several hours at first, you will burn. Take it slow, up your internal sunscreen, and see a difference in your sun resilience.

Did you know your body’s melanin production goes up or down according to the light let in through your eyes? If you are constantly wearing sunglasses, the brain will think not as much melanin is needed and you can sunburn faster. Try to go without sunglasses and have a nice hat to protect you from the sun.

Start by exposing yourself to the early rising sunlight before UVA and UVB are present. This is typically around sunrise or early morning when the sun is still low on the horizon. This early morning sunlight is rich in infrared light, which will prepare your skin and eyes to absorb more UV when the sun is higher in the sky.

Increase sun exposure over time. Early in the season, your skin needs time to adjust to sun exposure, in order for your skin to produce its protective pigment (melanin, that results in a tan). Early in the season, go outside for a few minutes and build yourself up slowly. After about 20 minutes to one hour, coverup with loose, white clothing, and slowly increase sun exposure each day. This will “train” your body on what to expect.

Watch the sunset- The infrared light around sunset activates all the cell repair mechanisms to heal any damage from the sun that your skin received. A sunset walk around the block is great for that. 😊

Avoid artificial light after dark - When you brain feels that it is still daytime, it won’t activate the mechanisms needed for repair. Candle down at night, use blue blocking glasses, and make sure your room is dark while sleeping.