Summers in Minnesota are incredible. There’s nothing better than feeling the sun’s warmth on your skin after months of frigid Minnesota winters and chilly spring. But that warmth comes along with an increase in UV, which can be very beneficial in moderation, but in excess can cause some major skin damage. Many people have been told that they need to use sunscreen to protect their skin from this damage… but studies show that most sunscreens themselves bring along an array of health concerns!
Sunscreen: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Most sunscreens on the market today contain chemical filters to keep harmful rays from penetrating the skin. The problem is that many of the chemicals used are not actually recognized as safe or effective.
How can this be?! Environmental Working Group has a great article about sunscreen, in which it shares that the active ingredients in sunscreen were “grandfathered in” when the FDA began to consider sun screen safety. Meaning these ingredients were not actually reviewed for their potential hazards. Since then, it has actually released information showing that 12 of the 16 ingredients that are currently allowed into the products in the US do not have enough health and safety data to consider it “generally recognized as safe and effective.”
The EWG article goes into greater detail about the different ingredients and the issues with them, and I highly recommend reading it here. In this article, however, I want to focus on the natural things you can do to protect yourself from sun damage.
Keeping it Real Natural
Many people approach sun protection by putting stuff ON the body, but there’s ways you can protect yourself with what you put IN your body!
When you think about it, it isn’t just the sun that causes you to burn. If it was, then you’d burn immediately when you were exposed to the sun. We can help prevent the burning associated with prolonged sun exposure by better equipping the body’s response. There are a few supplements that can help do this.
One of these supplements is Astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin is a very powerful antioxidant derived from algae. It’s what gives salmon, trout, and other seafood it’s pink hue. Studies have shown that Astaxanthin can improve minimal erythema dose (which is just the fancy name for the amount of sun exposure before you burn). It’s important to note, however, that with Astaxanthin, you need to start taking it several weeks before it is effective (we recommend 3-4 weeks minimum, but encourage 8+ weeks for best results).
On top of being great for improving your body’s ability to tolerate sun exposure, Astaxanthin may also be beneficial for the brain, vision, and skin. It’s an all-around winner!
Another supplement that has shown to be effective at reducing skin damage is Polypodium leucotomos extract.
Polypodium leucotomos extract is derived from a tropical fern grown in South and Central Americas. It has shown an incredible impact on skin protection against UV exposure due to its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. One of the best features about this extract is that unlike Astaxanthin, it starts working very fast! How fast? Within the same day. Studies show a big impact an hour after taking the second of two doses (with only an hour in between doses).
If you’re interested in either of these supplements, take a look at our Sun Protection Collection on Fullscript. And remember: fun in the sun is great for your health in so many ways! Keep the sun benefits and minimize the risk with proper sun protection from the inside out.
