Sunscreen Schunschreen!

[Zaphirah]

So with summer comin' there's been alot of talk re: suncare. I thought I might share my exp and see if other's have had similar results.

first off, you should know, I am 100% Irish. I sunburn at the mere *thought* of a sunny day. LOL!

In the past, I've had to limit my time in the springtime sun. I usu. started burning after about 10 minutes. If I was out for an hour in April, I wouldn't be able to sleep that night.

FF to this year. I have been raw for 7 months now. This past week has been the most beautiful weather. I have been outside raking, and hauling brush, etc. No burn. Yesterday I actually laid out in the sun for almost 45 min. It was so wonderful to finally feel WARM after such a long winter. No burn. I later went out and spent some more time outside and still no burn. My skin tanned ever so slightly, but no burn.

Now I heard that Dr Oz says tomatoes help and I do eat a whole large tomato everyday. I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

So that's my exp with No burn. I'm finally able to ENJOY the wonderful spring weather. Usu. I've had to sit inside or on the porch since there's no leaves on the trees yet to provide shade.

I'm looking forward to today!

[spicyfull]

RAWonderful information........Thanks for Sharing.

[GlimR]

That is great news! I am very fair skinned too and live in florida. It's the lycopene in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, etc....and the antioxidants in dark skinned fruits and green leafy veggies that add protection to the skin..ohhh..and in cacao!!!! I was just reading about this this morning.:D

[Zaphirah]

can you post a link? thanks!

[GlimR]

It was an article in the May issue of Natural Health in their good medicine section, pg.48

eat your sunscreen

they do have a web site but I haven't checked that out yet...the addy is

naturalhealthmag.com

Nice to see it confirmed in how you are doing!! btw...you are an inspiration for me~:)

[Zaphirah]

Aww thanks GlimR-likewise! :cool: (FWIW-my weight ballooned up to 140+ in just 3 days after the fast. I have no clue what's going on, but I'm GONNA get back down to my goal weight, no matter what. I just have to figure out what's going on...usu I only gain a few pounds?)

[PixieLed]

I've had similar experiences. I used to burn really easily and would always wear sunscreen. But on my vacation to Italy I decided to go no-sunscreen. I was eating 100% raw on the trip and almost a year leading up to the trip itself. I didn't burn at all and I spent days outside in the sun. One of my friends roasted, but she has a very meat & dairy tendency, so it's no surprise. ;)

[Zaphirah]

LOL! Now let's think about that for a minute....

meat and dairy turn RANCID in the sun, but tomatoes and watermelons only get sweeter.....:p I guess you really ARE what you eat!

[April22]

This is a really interesting thread. I too am extremely fair (redish hair, freckles all over my body) and I live in Las Vegas where the sun is so intense. I will have to give this a try as I tend to burn even with sunscreen on.

[rubyhair]

i have to say, i am SOOOO jealous!! i'm so fair, redhead, freckles, you know, that whole thing. about 2 weeks ago it was 75 out and gorgeous, i was working in the garden all day long (without sunscreen), in the evening i started to get pink so i went inside. a few hours later i was so bright red! and in pain! i am still peeling on my back. i got burnt pretty bad. i dont really want to wear sunscreen but it looks like i'm going to have to.
i've been raw a little over 5 months, i know i still have toxins that i need to cleanse my body of. i'm hoping once i get to my goal weight and have been raw for a while, i wont burn, or at least burn as bad.

[Clare]

I am also a redhead, and what I do is wear a big wide-brimmed straw hat. Actually my head is so big that it's this wrap around hat that velcro's like a visor. It looks nicer than my description :-) and rolls up for packing. I also have a wide-brimmed fabric hat that packs flat. I wear sunglasses and the hat, and limit my time outside without at least short sleeves. For some reason my legs and lower arms don't seem as sensitive as the face and upper chest/shoulders....

You can also buy chemical-free sunblocks that are based on creating a physical block. They contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and are better protection for your skin because they actually block ALL rays rather than letting in just the damaging ones like chemical sunscreens do. They tend to be pasty and need a lot of rubbing in but are useful in those rare situations when there's no other way to prevent burn (ie skiing). a little tan is healthy but burn=bad

[Jenifae]

Well, maybe we need to create a RAW Redheaded Freckeled Group :p
I too am of that variety and have always burned. I grew up in the 70's and when I moved to Ca. from N.C. everyone here seemed to be Blonde, Blue-eyed, and tanned. They only thing I had in common was the blue eyes. Needless to say perhaps I tried to tan for years. I only became a orangey-red. Also, needless to say I have skin damage today. I also, recentlly got rosecea on my right cheeck. I am not 100% raw yet but, have made vast improvements and on those days can feel a real difference. I will incorporate more tomato's and watermelon to see if this is helpful. Until then I've been working on covering myself up more and I just started a mineral make-up 2 days ago and my rosecea has decreased 70%. I couldn't believe when I looked in the mirror after my shower. Wow! Anyone have rosecea and tried mineral make-up? It's supposedly supposed to help?

[Juicyfruit]

I have had the same experience with raw and the sun. When I am 100%, I don't get a burn what so ever. I can be out in the sun for hours and barely get any color what so ever. I have to be 100% or it doesn't work as well. Another thought, vitamin A is fat soluble, so you need to make sure you are getting enough fats in your diet to activate the vitamin. I incorporate extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and a few nuts. I get most of my fats from the evoo though.

[pittypat12345]

Hey,

This is a great thread. Didn't realize all the redheads in the audience. Me: Redhead, Fair Skin, Green Eyes. Also have serious phobia of the sun (maybe being a little dramatic). I'm so scared about sun damage and getting skin cancer. This sounds really great about how 100% raw affects how redheads manage sun exposure.

For what it's worth, I've tried physical/non-chemical sunblocks with a lot of success. However, I try to put the sunblock on immediately after getting out of the shower in the morning, so it will have time to settle in before I put my (mineral) makeup on and go to work. As stated above, the non-chemical sunblock can make your skin look even whiter and pastier than it already is. I run into the problem of needing to reapply mid-day, but worrying about the pasty look after reapplying. I know I'm just being vain.

Good luck to all ya'll redheads out there!

[cara4art]

Fair-skinned redheads out there - be careful! Even though you might have been raw for a good while, the fact is that this kind of skin is not set up for massive sun exposure, due to the very little in the way of melanin-producing cells. Better instead to do like they did in the old days before toxic sunblocks, etc. - go out early or late for a few minutes, or stay in the shade, or really cover up and wear a hat if you have to be out in the sun.
Those of us with different skintones have a bit more leeway in this regard, but still not to stay out all day unprotected. And for those of us who have been indoors pretty much for the cooler months, taking it slow when coming into the warmer months is a good idea to avoid skin damage. A few minutes a day to start, and increasing from there as one's own skintone will permit. Some sun each day is very beneficial though although mainstream dermatologists are always saying that any sun is bad. Maybe it is if one is really toxic, but once one is cleaning up one's system, I see no reason not to enjoy some reasonable sun and outdoor activities. We, as raw foodists, have a special relationship with the sun - after all, what gives all that produce life? The sun, of course, and you're getting solar energy every time you eat.

[blueskyggs]

This is an interesting discussion. thank you for sharing :)

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[RaeVynn]

Red haired, freckles, blue eyes.. yup, I'm part of this group.
Sunscreens never helped, back when I used them. I grew up in So. California, and spent most summers burnt to a crisp.
Then, I found out that most sunscreens contain toxic, cancer causing chemicals. So, I rarely use a sunscreen (when I do, it's Dr. Haruska's(?) which is very low on the toxic-meter).
What I do use, is coconut oil... before sun, and after sun.
I've not peeled at all since I started using coconut oil, even when I got a really bad burn (really red, skin was stinging for a couple of days)... but no peeling. Usually, in a day or two, the red of the burn is just gone. I'm almost tan this year! :p

[Davylp25]

I'm planning on going to the beach for a trip next week in So Cal, I will be outside for hours. I'm not fair skinned, meaning I do tan, but I usually spend only 1 hour at the beach, and can get pretty red depending on if its earlier in the day. This time I will be outside for at least 5 hours, etc. I'm 100% raw for 4 years. So... any advice? I know tomatoes carrots etc wont help me for this long outside. Any tips? I will be at the beach swimming etc. Shirtless. I have never used sunscreen in years, but I had one experience of being so burnt last year after falling asleep at the beach for only 1 hour, and never ever want to experience that again! hehe:eek:

[RaeVynn]

Astaxanthin is a suppliment that helps heal UV damage.
Coconut oil, on your skin and in your system (eat it) helps your skin deal with sunshine.
Take along a long sleeved lightweight shirt, and put it on after an hour or so. Ditto with pants.

Don't wear sunglasses outside! your body needs your eyes to tell it how much sun you are getting.

[Revvell]

This time I will be outside for at least 5 hours, etc. I'm 100% raw for 4 years. So... any advice?

Yes! When not in the water, wear a light shirt/covering and hat. You can burn the ear tips and wherever your hair parts AND, don't fall asleep in the sun w/out being covered. I've been burned by the Ca. sun ~ it's not pretty and it's not fun.

[Emmanuelle]

Good thread!

I am originally from the Netherlands, but I have spent some months in Australia (where the sun feels soooo strong to me, probably because it IS :p) and the USA last year and I kept worrying about that real strong sun, in Australia and the USA (Florida, specifically) both!

I just returned from a trip to Florida last week and eventhough it is already October, I really felt the sun burn on my pale skin, which made me retreat into the airco-blasting house often. I like my paleness as well, since it suits me, although a bit of color doesn't look bad at all either! But I am in my Botticelli phase, so yes...

Anyway, I am learning a lot from this thread. One tip I did get from someone who was very into hollistic healing, while I was over in Australia, was to dehydrate well, as in, REALLY well, when you go into the sun. If you are well hydrated, appearantly you can barely burn :)