Last week I was out walking with my husband and daughter in our local park. We came across a mom spraying down her whole family, including young children and a baby in a stroller, with an aerosol sunscreen spray. I have to say, I actually stood back and waited for that cloud of chemicals to pass before walking on by. I didn’t even want us to go near that mist.
Of course, this woman was being a loving mother and trying to do the right thing for her family, protecting them from the sun, from sunburn and skin cancer. That’s a very good thing! But the specific brand she had chosen was also soaking them unknowingly in endocrine disruptive chemicals!
The Wrong Sunscreen Can Decrease fertility
All chemical sunscreens contain endocrine disrupting chemicals that sink into your skin and right into your bloodstream. Just two of the common ingredients – oxybenzone and octinoxate – act like estrogen in the body, are associated with changes in sperm production, endometriosis, and overall negatively impact the thyroid and reproductive systems.
Putting a chemical sunscreen on to your skin is one thing, inhaling it in the cloud that comes from an aerosol can be even worse and such absorption can actually damage your organs. The link to cancer is so strong that national cancer prevention organizations suggest you wear a hat and stay in the shade instead of using chemical sunscreens.
Are we stopping skin cancer?
Most people these days are aware of the danger of too much sun exposure – they are vigilant about wearing sunscreen and slather it on every hour when out in the summer – as the result of nationwide awareness campaigns. Yet, cases of skin cancer are actually on the rise. It’s still the most common cancer currently contracted in the US. So what’s going on? Clearly the chemical sunscreen is not working. And it has a lot to do with diet of course! What you eat affects the function of the skin, one function is to shield itself from photo damage!
Researchers from John Hopkins University discovered that a component of broccoli called sulforaphane can prevent cancer when applied to the skin. They actually painted broccoli puree on to subjects skin to test this out! Lead researcher Dr. Sally Dickinson has also discovered that sulforaphane is highly effective at inhibiting cancer-causing pathways and at triggering chemoprotective genes like the Nrf2 gene. Such research suggests there are other ways to deal sensibly with sun exposure that bypass chemical sunscreens and their potential dangers. 1
3 Foods to Protect Your Skin This Summer
It’s very likely that a combination of the fact that we’re not eating enough skin-protective foods along with the increasing damage to the ozone layer from global warming has got us into this situation. Here’s what you can start eating to restore the essential micronutrients for sun-savvy skin this summer – and of course – they are delicious, good for your hormones, and taste way better than that chemical spray sunscreen that gets in your mouth when the wind blows it the wrong way – blech!
Broccoli
Eating more broccoli and any other veggies from the brilliant brassica family, as well as more carrots and fresh fruit to increase your levels of vitamin A and C, will actually give you sun protection all summer long. You will be protected from the inside out, your body will set up its own defences. Of course, you also need to be sensible and not let yourself or your family burn by being out in the sun when it’s at its most fierce or for too long, but the right kind of diet will actually give you more time in the sunshine and prevent rapid sunburning.
Olive Oil
Vitamin E has massive skin protecting effects. Eating a more Mediterranean-style diet (or following the Flo Living protocol!) will improve your skin’s function and improve it’s response to free radical damage. Drizzle olive oil on everything, even directly on your skin! Tomatoes and basil also have sun protecting skin enhancing effects and the three together make the salad summer is made for! So, if you’re not vacationing in the Mediterranean this year (we wish!), you can bring a piece of that lifestyle to where ever you spend your sunny time out!
Dark Chocolate!
OMG – chocolate actually doubles the amount of UV required to get a sunburn by increasing skin density, hydration, and microcirculation! I mean, there are SO many good reasons to eat dark chocolate every day, puree some raw cacao with some avocado and top with fresh strawberries for a skin protecting dessert! (Thank you chocolate gods for giving us the cacao bean – all praise!)
Unprotected skin, Hormones and Fertility
You do need a minimum of 15 minutes in the sun daily without any sunscreen to allow for production of Vitamin D3. Adding in foods that are clinically shown to protect this skin can make you feel much more at ease with this practice. This method is better than just staying out of the sun, because we do really need sunshine. We need that vitamin D3 that only the sun can provide as supplemental forms are less bioavailable. In addition, vitamin D3 is essential for hormonal balance and optimal fertility. There’s a bonus too – when we have enough D3, we are actually protecting ourselves against anti-oxidant skin damage.
My personal sun solution for me and my baby girl
I have a beach vacation in New England planned for this summer. My plan is to take my daughter out in the early morning sun when it’s less intense, so between 9am and 11am. I’ll have her wear a hat and a UV protective long sleeved swim shirt and little shorts. I will be using sunscreen, but only have to apply it to the areas not protected by the clothing. The sunscreen I’m choosing for my daughter is a physical barrier cream rather than chemical sunscreen. 2
At the beach, when I’m not swimming – I personally wear this giant UV protective hat.
I sit under an umbrella and if it’s super intense sun, I wear a tunic. And I pack beach food that protects my skin – tomato, basil, broccoli, quinoa salad drizzled with olive oil and topped with walnuts. Cacao, avocado, strawberry pudding and fresh cherries for dessert.
Physical sunscreens are made of titanium oxide or zinc oxide and they sit on top of the skin. They act as a barrier against the sun’s rays, which are then either absorbed by the sunscreen or reflected away from the body. Physical sunscreens are usually opaque chalky white. You may have seen lifeguards or surfers using a physical block on their face. That’s because when you’re out in the sun all day, this is what is most effective and naturally water-resistant. They’re also hypoallergenic as a rule, which is great as most chemical sunscreens cause allergic reactions for those with sensitive skin. Formulations are much better now – easier to apply and disappear into the skin.
I have chosen the Badger brand zinc oxide-based physical sunscreen for our trip.
I LOVE summer! And I love that knowing how to eat right to protect my hormones also protects my skin – one elegant solution with food really does take care of everything! Say no to chemicals and say yes to broccoli!
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
to your FLO,
Alisa
Good things come in threes:
I want to hear from you
First, do you use sunscreen?
Second, will you now switch to a protective diet and physical block? Let me know below!
Third, You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social!
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1 **http://grist.org/list/broccoli-based-sunscreen-could-help-protect-you-from-skin-cancer/
2 ***(http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/what-to-look-for-in-a-sunscreen/)
Last summer I started making my own sunscreen. I love it! We do use physical barriers from the sun but I’m honestly not too familiar with the food – protection aspect. I’m excited to look into it!! This is TMI and mostly off topic (lol), but I have suffered from infertility, PCOS and I’ve even had an ovary removed in the last year and a half. Four months ago, I decided to switch from pads and tampons to a Diva Cup and who would’ve thought one would be so excited over a personal hygiene product!! Haha! I might be crazy but my periods are lighter, shorter and I’m not crampy like I was before. I really do believe it has to do with switching methods.
Are there any safe sunscreens compatible with darker complexions? Many of the barrier sunscreens leave an Ashy look on darker skin.
Love the ideas! Thinking along the same lines and wanting to be outside as much as possible in the summer, do you have any suggestions for bug spray?
Bug spray – mosquitoes LOVE me. I finally found a bug repellant that is effective and natural. I will try to make my own when I run out. It is oil based.
Ingredients:
Sunflower oil (I’d swap that for coconut oil), essential oils of citronella, eucalyptus, catnip, camphor, cinnamon, pennyroyal.
Good luck!
I make my own with non nano zinc oxide …it’s an oil base that’s infused with herbs that benefit skin health and are healing- it doubles as fantastic butt balm for diaper rash☆ cheers to healthy living. Thank you for your informative blog♡
I will definitely be changing sun screen! I’m aware of xenoesteogens and the fact that they are in everything but was so consumed w the idea of protecting my family from the sun that I didn’t even consider the chemicals. Thanks for the post.
Yes I use sunscreen, made by Melaleuca the Wellness Company. It is zinc oxide based and is wonderful. (no chemicals) We also have a wonderful product in case you get sunburned, it really takes the “ouch” away and feels so cool. No chemicals in it of course.
Badger got some terrible reviews on makeupalley.com. People claim that they got burned with it. User error?
Thanks Alisa,This information is really helpful. i am from India and i have been using Lotus Gel based sunscreen from past three months.Never used before.
now i guess i have more healthy options to look for.
Thanks
I had a period only light for the first time in.over a year and only when I read your article have I understood I’ve been gaining from being in the sun no period pains and light bleed on pop I was on pop cause the pains were so bad but now I may try to come off them and be in the sun and eat healthy things my energy levels are higher.too I can walk in the sun without much pain as I have fibromyalgia I get pains a lot but ive never felt this great in along time so thank you and I did post your article on Facebook
Another fascinating post!
I cover my skin when going out anywhere so I never really felt the need to wear sunscreen, but recently, as I’m been approaching 30, I noticed my skin being WAY more sensitive to the sun! I get itchy red bumps on my hands from driving, and even on the arches of my feet, so I’ve started using sunscreen. Aveeno but I’ll be switching to a more natural one soon.
Question: is it enough to get sun expose on your face, hands and feet for 20 minutes a day with no chemical sunscreen, or does it have to be larger areas of your body?
Love your post.
Just wanted to tell you about Sunumbra sunscreen products as we have Broccoli Sprout extract in 2 of them… plus other great additional botanical ingredients in all of them that add to the protection provided by the zinc oxide. We also advocate people ’embracing the sunshine’ to enable that Vit D creation which helps among many things, any endocrine disorders (that you have mentioned here). BUT this only really happens efficiently in the midday sun, so you need to revise slightly your midday sunshine routine?
Also, I like to emphasise that the more prominent early sunshine rays are UVA rather than UVB, so to make sure your child and yourself, are protected with excellent UVA sunscreen – which you have with a brand using only zinc oxide, as we do with Sunumbra.
Have a fabulous day!
I use sunscreen almost everyday. I have been paying more attention to the active ingredients that are within the spf lotions that I use. It’s very shocking what they contain and I know it contributes to my irregular cycles.
I am college student and I would love to try a protective diet but I just don’t make time for it. Physical block from the sun is just not an option for me because of my active lifestyle outside.
Are there any affordable spf lotions that I can rely on to protect my skin for now?
Thanks! 🙂
With the Zika virus here in 2016, please write an article on products to use that effectively ward off insects. I saw one on Thrive, but it had soybean oil and you had said for PCOS women to avoid soy.
So what to do? I eat broccoli, dark chocolate, and EVOO regularly because I’m in the Flo. 🙂 In addition, as an African-American woman I run Vitamin D deficient and feel I have to choose between that important vitamin and sun protection since it takes far more than 15-20 for me to produce vitamin D.
Do you suggest that African-American woman stay in the sun unprotected for longer periods or just take a supplement? Please answer the questions here for you AA flo-women. 🙂
I was just in Italy and actually layed in my bikini in the sun to get a little tanned and because in Denmark where I reside there is little sun and warmth so I felt drawn to the sun warming my bones. I put some sunscreen on in the places I felt got vulnerable but not much. In the evenings I put coconut oil on the lightly tanned face and body. I stayed away from gluten in Italy!