If you haven’t watched Part 1, be sure to head here to watch it now!
You can’t turn on the television without someone telling you to put on sunscreen to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun. And while it may be true that the sun can cause damage, why are very few people asking the question 'why do skin cancer rates keep rising each year even though we are applying more and more sun protection protocols’?
It’s a valid question. We have access to more information in this day and age than ever before. A majority of Americans cover up with clothes and sunscreen when they go outside. Yet, skin cancer rates (particularly melanoma) are rising year after year.
We have evolved with the sun for millennia, spending nearly 100% of our time outdoors. However, only within the past one hundred years have we completely shifted our time to spending >95 percent of our time indoors.
And somehow skin cancer rates are growing worse and worse. Instead of demonizing the sun, wouldn’t the more logical solution be to figure out what has changed inside us these past few generations to cause this sudden rise in skin cancer?
As you will come to find out, there are many factors that influence our skin’s ability to handle sun exposure healthfully, or not. The quality of fats we eat, gradually exposing yourself to more sun (not less), and ditching toxic sunscreens are all part of the equation.
Are sunscreens really toxic?
According to The Environmental Working Group (EWG), that answer would be a resounding yes!
They are an American non-profit organization that conducts research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, pollution, and environmental health. One of their major concerns is the use of toxic chemicals in sunscreen.
According to the EWG, many sunscreens contain potentially harmful chemicals such as:
Oxybenzone -known to disrupt hormones and damage coral reefs (1)
Octinoxate - has been shown to disrupt thyroid function and may be harmful to marine life (2)
Homosalate - can accumulate in the body and may disrupt hormones (3)
Octisalate - has been shown to cause skin allergies (4)
Octocrylene - has been shown to cause skin allergies (5)
Avobenzone - can break down into potentially harmful byproducts when exposed to sunlight and disrupt the endocrine system. It has been shown to block the effects of testosterone in cellular studies (6)
And according to randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that these chemicals commonly found in sunscreen can be absorbed and detected in the bloodstream weeks after a single application. (7)
Safe & Effective Sunscreens
However, there are safe and effective sunscreens you can use to protect yourself from the sun.
Clothes
Shade
Eat your sunscreen (antioxidants, healthy fats, and more!)
Gradual exposure to UV radiation
Daily infrared light exposure
To learn more, be sure to tune in and check out this episode now!
In Today’s Episode you will learn:
Intro: (0:00)
The shocking increase in skin cancer cases: (0:29)
When were sunscreens invented: (5:15)
The massive harm chemicals in sunscreen cause: (10:56)
The media gives us conflicting information that confuses us: (19:41)
Why it's problematic to avoid sunlight: (36:28)
Science shows sun exposure is beneficial: (40:45)
Why you should eat your sunscreen: (44:31)
The harmful connection seed oils have on melanoma risk: (47:44)
Importance of eating fat-soluble vitamins: (50:05)
Vitamin C's role in keeping skin healthy: (55:25)
How to improve the quality of your fats: (57:07)
The importance of knowing your skin type: (59:34)
Why you need to get full-spectrum sun all day long: (1:02:13)
What type of sunscreen is actually best and least toxic: (1:03:20)
Infrared light therapy devices: (1:06:45)
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