Our Journal
How to stay safe in the Sun naturally
Hello Summer and Sunshine Love.
From February onwards we long for sunny Summer days and with good reason.
When the light rays from the sun hits our skin it causes the body to produce vitamin D, our “sunshine vitamin”.
This is a super vitamin boosts immunity, reduces inflammation, relaxes muscles, improves brain function and alleviates depression. In order to optimise this process try not washing your your skin for at least 24 hours before sun exposure, as the natural oils on your skin play a crucial part in increasing the production of these natural vitamins.
Whilst the sun is important for our health there are steps we can take to look after our skin and keep it glowing and healthy.
Our advice for this is:
Hydration – Your skin is made up of millions of cells, which are primarily water. When you are dehydrated your skin will retract (like a piece of fruit does as it dries up) and this will stretch the muscles in the skin leading to wrinkles as well as feeling dry and flaky.
Drinking at least 2 litres of water each day will avoid this happening.
Time - Choose your time carefully. We all know the hottest time of the day is midday when the sun is directly overhead. For two hours either side of this time of the day it is wise to stay out of direct sunlight. So wear a hat, use an umbrella or find some shade. We were not made to cook ourselves.
Sunscreens- Your skin is the largest organ of your body and absorbs what it touches. It’s interesting to notice that in the years since sunscreen use began, skin cancer rates have actually risen. This may be due in part to the fact that many sunscreens contain petrochemicals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as oxybenzone, which is a hormone disruptor. These things end up in our body.
When looking for sunscreen it is important to look for ones with pure ingredients like zinc oxide with plant based oils.
Here are our top picks:
Zinc Oxide – Not only does regular sunscreen pollute your body, they increasingly are polluting our sea. If you imagine every time someone on the beach goes swimming sunscreen is washing into the water. With water pollution globally on the increase it’s important to try and make small changes to address it.
Zinc oxide is the most natural of the sun protectors. It forms a whitish coating on the skin that blocks the suns rays and is fully biodegradable.
You can buy this on its own and combine with natural ingredients such as coconut oil or shea butter for application.
After sun
After suns like a lot of sunscreens on the market are chemical based and rather ineffective in reducing the trapped heat in the skin.
Essential oils like lavender combined with 100% plant juice of aloe vera and a pure plant oil base such as borage of jojoba is the most effective way to rehydrate your skin and reduce inflammation and redness.
As a homeopath Primrose recommends taking remedies Sol , Urtica urens or Belladonna 30c in potency as these can be effective and worth keeping in the first aid kit.
Oat bath - As a lover of oats I also recommend a soothing oat bath for reducing inflammation and itchiness in the skin.
Upcycle your wardrobe by filling an old pair of tights with some organic oats and leave it in the bath as you run it.
This is a great system for your nervous system too.
Stay safe in the Sun this summer!
x Prim