Over the last several years, I’ve been following a growing theme amongst the holistic community…we’ve been lied to about skin cancer. This is a tough one for me as a child that grew up with the emergence of skin cancer. And yet, the musings behind how this is a fallacy resonate with me, as well. So where does this leave me as a mother?  To slather the sunscreen or not?
The Dilemma
There are noteworthy members of the holistic community that assert that the sun is not the enemy in the battle against cancer. They go a step further to suggest we need all the sunshine we can get to fuel our bodies. And yet we get sunburns. Hmmm.Â
Now, before I go any further, I’m no doctor or even a certified holistic practitioner. I have no professional experience to corroborate these assertions. So here is the disclaimer: I’m not qualified to offer medical advice. Seek out a professional.
But did we always burn? Sunscreen really rose to the scene in my generation, as a child. So what did people do before the 1980s and 90’s? What changed?
I tried to search for the origins of sunscreen and oddly the internet could not agree on whom or when. Sort of odd for something that seems so critical these days. Anyhow, I am linking the timeline the NIH has published. They suggest that it was created in the 1940s and didn’t catch any attention from the FDA until the late 1970s.
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Cooking Oils
Have you heard the buzz on expeller pressed oils? Seed oils is a term that has growing awareness due to the frequency in which they are found in foods and the way they are processed.  The most commonly heard is Canola Oil, but this also includes sunflower oil, soybean oil, etc. Much of the concern is with the refinement necessary to make the oil palatable involving bleaching and deodorizing. This article explains it, thoroughly, courtesy of the NIH. Side note: opt for cold pressed virgin oils for a healthier alternative.
The additional worry with these oils, as it pertains to sun exposure, is that they may be quite literally cooking us. Unfortunately, there is no research (that I’ve found) to substantiate this claim. That being said, I have no problem believing it to be possible. Oddly enough, sunscreen was not encouraged until about the same time that seed oils entered the food market in the late 1970s. How very coincidental!Â
You know how you can smell someone sweating alcohol out after a night of heavy drinking? The skin is the body’s largest organ. It, along with the lymphatic system, filter toxins out of body through our skin’s pores. It stands to reason (to me at least) that if our body’s can sweat out alcohol, then the same would be true of oils. Why wouldn’t the oil that fries food, not also cook our skin in direct sunlight?
Again, no scientific data to back this up other than the way we know the skin and lymph system to work. Right of wrong, I’ll err on the side of caution, here. Â
Yeah, That is Heavy
It sure is! If like me, you are just sitting wondering where to go from here. Take that moment. Hell take a deep breath and on the exhale, breath, “What The F@$K?” It helped me. Â
So what is the reality for my family? We do eat foods that contain less desirable oils. Unless you make everything from scratch, it is almost impossible to avoid, unfortunately. So I feel a very real need to use sunscreen to prevent against what my be unnatural burning. Â
However, I also don’t love all of the chemicals that go into sunscreen manufacturing. Especially since we are putting it onto the largest organ of our body and it is truth that our skin is permeable so it absorbs whatever is applied.Â
I am always determined to find an answer. I never throw my hands in the air and say, “oh well.” These are our loved ones we are talking about.Â
First, Clothing and Hats
In order to limit the amount of sunscreen we apply, I use particular clothing and hat options to limit sun exposure, first. On most normal activity days, this is all we need. We only utilize sunscreen in the event of hours of sustained exposure, such as, going to a water park. Â
We are big fans of fishing gear during the warm months. It is made to be lightweight for summer heat. Often times, they claim to offer SPF protection. The bright colors are great for spotting my boys in busy congested areas. Columbia has many great options available through Amazon. We also frequent a box store called Academy that carries a different but similar brand called Magellan. The physical store may not be available in your area but they do ship.Â
In the above picture, my boys are actually wearing adult size sun hats purchased on Amazon. We have had these for a couple of years and they hold up great to getting wet, dirty and going through the clothes washer. We have a set in each of our vehicles so we are never without them.Â
Second, Select a Safe Sunscreen
Go ahead and download the EWG Healthy Living app on your phone, now. Thank me later. I have used this app as a resource over the past 5+ years.  Â
Below is an image with three screenshots from sunscreen product searches done within the EWG app. The EWG has a scoring system for safety:Â
- Low Hazard (green numbers)
- Moderate Hazard (orange numbers)
- High Hazard (red number)
The top two screen shots are brands I use and third and lower, the more common alternative. Each one has their overall score in the top right corner. Thinksport Clear Zinc Sunscreen has a EWG Verified Stamp; which, is essentially EWG giving their safety stamp of approval for certain products.
I personally use La Roche-Posay Anthelios Dry Touch for my facial sunscreen, just for myself. The rest of my family uses Thinksport on their exposed areas and only in extended sun exposure.
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Get Outside And Enjoy
In our home we use great discernment with our sun exposure. It is necessary for us because we are outside for hours, daily. I hope some of these resources will help you and your family in your approach with summer fun. If you find you get a little to much heat on you, Badger’s Aloe Vera Gel will help take the sting out of it. The sunshine should be enjoyed as much as the memories made beneath it.
*This is not medical/health advice. Please consult with a medical professional before making any personal changes.*
