
Sunburn protection, how to be safe and keep your tan for longer
Sunburn is as painful as it is unhealthy. High sun protection factor (SPF) sun screens mostly use metals such as Aluminium, Magnesium or Titanium* to deflect the sunlight away from your skin. Did you know that Alzheimer Societies suspect there is a link between Aluminium and Alzheimer's Disease? Many scientists believe that putting such metals into skin products is not such a good idea. It would be safer to power up your skin from within to withstand the sun better. So isn't it amazing that you can swallow a capsule and increase your protection against sunburn: Aloeride® to the rescue! |
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.Take note of how the natives handle the sunlight. In Spain or Mexico almost everybody holds a siesta in the shade during the hottest time of the day. In France or Italy during that time most people have lunch on a terrace under huge parasols. So when the sun is at it highest position in the sky, get out of the sunlight or at least cover yourself up. And please be aware that wet clothing lets UV light through more readily than dry clothing does.... |
Skin contains fats that keep it suppleSure enough you'll apply your sun creams, but do not overlook the fact that your skin primarily gets its fats from good food. So increase your intake of good, unpolluted omega 3 fats via your diet whilst concurrently increasing your antioxidant intake (for even the best fats go rancid if your body has a lot of free radicals, and this is true even when there is no sunlight at all). Make sure you increase omega 3 and not omega 6 oils as the latter and sunlight do not combine well. Fats dissolve in soap, so it is obvious that the more you use soap, the more fats you'll take out of your skin. By the way, ingesting good fats does not make you fat but carbohydrates will, so go easy on the pasta ;-) |
Skin contains waterSo keep yourself hydrated and in the tropics this may involve taking some salt tablets. An adult needs to drink 1.5 litre of water (this may be via green or white tea also) to replenish the normal physiological fluid loss during a day in the office or at home. So, out in the sun you need to drink much more water than that. |
Many seasoned travellers know...that on the beaches in the Caribbean you can get your back rubbed with a freshly cut chunk of aloe vera to soothe the pain of sunburn. However, fewer travellers know that a better effect can be achieved by taking aloe vera before and during your trip as it helps the skin bounce back from a sudden change in sunlight exposure (simply take 1 Aloeride® capsule in the morning and 1 at night). However, it is vital that sun worshippers still follow guidelines about sensible exposure to the sun. Whilst this herb is effective in preventing and soothing sunburn, over-exposure will inevitably result in sore and reddened skin. |
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However, a word of warning, the wrong aloe vera product may actually cause diarrhoea. So, before leaving on your next holiday, make sure that you take the right aloe vera capsule with you such as Aloeride® to effectively ease the range of ailments that you become prone to when travelling. Taken before and during your trip, it can help to ensure that you make the most of every day of your hard earned holiday. |
So what's the health benefit from sunlight?Sunlight makes vitamin D which actually is a pre-hormone and its production requires a pre-cholesterol molecule to get UV-B from sunlight onto the skin. Then the liver converts it to calcidiol (storage form) which then is converted by every body cell into calcitriol (a.k.a. activated vitamin D) Vitamin D is the most potent steroid in your entire body. |
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To find out whether you are deficient, the best vitamin D test is 25(OH)D - also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D - and optimal levels are 45-50 ng/mL or 115-128 nmol/L (these values are higher than the 'normal' values). The amount of vitamin D produced from sunlight depends on exposure time, latitude and altitude of location, amount of skin surface exposed, skin pigmentation and season. UV-B also stimulates the production of MSH (melanocyte-stimulating hormone), an important hormone in weight loss, energy production, and in giving you that wonderful tanned appearance (?-MSH ). However, UV-B does not penetrate very deeply into your skin. The darker the pigmentation or more tanned your skin, the less UV-B penetrates. Remember that glass allows only some 5% of UV-B to enter your home or your car, you must go outside to benefit from sunlight. The take home message is that sunlight has an awful lot going for it providing you avoid sunburn. |
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