NATURAL SUN PROTECTION WITH VEGETABLE OILS AND AFTER-SUN CARE
With the summer season approaching, the topic of protection from the harmful effects of the sun has become more important. First of all, none of us want to spend the entire summer indoors, and adequate and controlled exposure to sunlight helps our body produce vitamin D. We must not forget the difference between “tanning” and getting the benefits of the sun safely.
What is bronze?
The BAD (British Association of Dermatologists) explains: The dark pigment that gives skin its natural colour is called melanin. Melanin is produced by pigment cells called melanocytes. After exposure to sunlight, melanocytes produce more melanin to absorb more UV radiation, which causes the skin to darken.
A tan is actually a sign that the skin has been damaged and is trying to protect itself. In short, there is no such thing as a “healthy tan” for our skin.
What are the harmful rays of the sun?
The sun's UV radiation is transmitted in three wavelengths: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC does not penetrate the Earth's atmosphere, so we only need to protect ourselves against UVA and UVB.
UVA is responsible for skin aging. It can cause premature aging and skin cancer. It even penetrates through windows. UVA rays reach the middle layer of the skin, the dermis, and can cause premature aging of skin cells. UVB rays affect the outer layer of the skin and cause sunburn.
How do we protect ourselves from harmful radiation?
The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UVB rays are most intense. Wearing tightly woven clothing, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses also provide additional protection.
Approximately 95% of the UV radiation that reaches the Earth's surface is UVA, and the remaining 5% is UVB. We are exposed to UVA rays all year round, so UVA protection is important all year round.
For UVA filtering we can use cold-pressed vegetable oils.
Vegetable oils for UVA protection:
Coconut, sesame, carrot seed, avocado, raspberry seed, shea, wheat germ – all of these oils provide natural UVA protection. While we provide UVA protection with plant oils, we do not prevent the beneficial effects of the sun.
If you go outside at noon and have skin prone to sunspots, using a mineral cream with an SPF between 15 and 30 is recommended for UVB protection. Make sure the product is water-resistant and broad-spectrum (including UVA protection).
Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to filter out UVB rays. Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply after swimming or sweating. It is also recommended to reapply every two hours. Products with SPF reflect the sun, which can also prevent its beneficial effects. The SPF of vegetable oils ranges from 2 to 7.
We usually don't apply enough product to get full protection (about 6 teaspoons for the entire body) nor do we apply it evenly, so avoiding the sun at noon and using a hat, umbrella and glasses is safer.
Skin care after sun exposure:
If you must use SPF products, cleanse your skin thoroughly at the end of the day. Wash your face with castile soap and use a gentle hydrosol and clay scrub suited to your skin type to unclog pores. Then, apply a natural serum with repairing oils, such as shea, sesame, avocado, or carrot seed.
For the body, mix sesame oil and avocado for a massage oil that repairs sun damage and improves skin elasticity. You can add 2% lavender essential oil.
For hair, after the beach or pool, combine chamomile hydrosol with 1/5 argan oil to make a hair spray. Coconut oil can be used weekly as a hair mask or balm for sun-dried lips.
For sun-irritated skin, aloe vera gel is soothing; you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil.
Making a homemade SPF cream by combining natural oils and zinc oxide is not very effective. Even if you increase the percentage of zinc oxide, uniform distribution is essential. Even if the mixture contains 20% zinc oxide, without uniform distribution we cannot guarantee an SPF of 20. Correct measurement of SPF is only done in the laboratory.
Expert Aesthetician
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References:
- Homemade Aromaterapi
