Sun protection is extremely important—there is no question about that. But sunlight itself also has its positive sides. It stimulates the production of vital vitamin D in our skin, which, however, is often blocked by sunscreens. It is therefore crucial to find a healthy middle ground. Enjoy the sun in moderation, protect your skin from the inside and outside, and thus strengthen its own protective mechanism.
Especially fair and sensitive skin needs special attention, particularly when it is not yet accustomed to the sun. Too much sun can not only lead to sunburn, but also increase the risk of skin aging and skin cancer. Conventional sunscreens usually focus only on external protection and often contain questionable ingredients such as octocrylene, oxybenzone, enzacamene, octinoxate, or avobenzone. Substances that are suspected, among other things, of being potentially carcinogenic and accelerating the growth of cancer cells. Even though an official connection to the rising skin cancer figures and the high use of sunscreens is officially denied, as by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, numerous studies, such as a clinical study from 2009, unfortunately show a different picture. In that study, avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule were detected in the blood of the test subjects and even in urine and breast milk.
No wonder that in Hawaii the sale of sunscreens containing octinoxate and oxybenzone has been banned since the beginning of 2021—even though this was less about protecting people and more about possible damage caused by UV filters to coral reefs.
But what is the best way to protect yourself now? Use no sunscreen at all, or only apply sun protection from within? The answer here is simple: ideally, a combination of both—but in a natural way!
\nEspecially natural and plant-based oils can represent an interesting and natural alternative to conventional sun protection products, particularly in the low sun protection factor range and for skin care. An in-vitro analysis in 2021 showed the following sun protection values in women with relatively fair skin:
In addition to the plant oils already mentioned, essential oils also have a certain sun protection factor. However, this is generally quite low, as essential oils must be diluted with a carrier oil. Nevertheless, due to their cell-regenerating properties, plant and essential oils are an interesting alternative for summer skin care and moderate sun exposure. If you would like to make your own sunscreen, you can use the following cell-regenerating essential oils: peppermint oil, patchouli, eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, patchouli oil, rose oil, tea tree oil, chamomile oil, palmarosa oil, manuka, and carrot oil.
However, exercise caution with bergamot, lime, lemon, and angelica root oil, as these can have a “phototoxic” effect in larger quantities and increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV light!
\nThe terms sun protection factor and light protection factor are often used synonymously in Germany. The abbreviations SSF or LSF are frequently found. The English variant SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is also common and is used to evaluate light protection preparations, i.e. sunscreens. The SPF indicates how many times longer you can expose yourself to the sun with a sunscreen without getting sunburned compared to your skin’s own self-protection time.
To make your own natural summer care product, proceed as follows:
\nFirst heat 20 ml avocado oil, 25 ml sesame oil, and 30 g coconut oil in a water bath until everything is liquid. Then add 20 g shea butter and stir until the mixture is liquid again. Next, add 2–3 tbsp zinc oxide powder and mix everything thoroughly with a milk frother. Wait until the mixture has cooled to room temperature before adding 10–20 drops of carrot seed oil and 10–20 drops of lavender oil. Stir well again so that all ingredients are evenly distributed. Now your own homemade sunscreen is ready!
Similar to increasing the sun protection factor externally, internal sun protection also works. When we consume certain substances such as carotenoids, which occur in plants as yellow, orange, or red organic pigments, we can increase our body’s own sun protection factor and thereby reduce our skin’s sensitivity to UV radiation. This principle is also found in nature—many plants protect their sensitive leaves from sunburn through natural dyes and pigments. A good example of this is green algae, which produce what is known as astaxanthin, a particularly powerful and bright red carotenoid, and it helps the algae protect themselves from drying out during the hot season by forming their own internal and natural protective shield, thus ensuring the survival of this plant.
The example of green algae and their pigment astaxanthin impressively illustrates how valuable this active ingredient from nature is. Astaxanthin not only increases the body’s own UV protection, but also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. No wonder many marine animals such as salmon, lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and even flamingos prefer algae with astaxanthin. They owe their chic pink color and their muscle strength to this carotenoid, because the red pigment is mainly found in the animals’ muscles.
\nBut back to us humans: we too can benefit from the many positive properties of astaxanthin! In terms of sun protection, a recently conducted double-blind placebo-controlled study confirmed that subjects with sensitive to normal skin developed a higher UV tolerance after just two weeks of taking 4 mg of astaxanthin. After 10 weeks, a further improved self-protection time was also observed, as well as a significantly better complexion with less loss of skin moisture.
But that’s not all! In addition to its impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, astaxanthin is also regarded as UV protection for the eyes. The substance can cross the blood-brain barrier and thus protect the nerves of the central nervous system as well as the brain from inflammation and free radicals. By crossing the blood-retina barrier, our retina can also benefit directly from the antioxidant and protect the eye. However, astaxanthin does not only work in the eye and brain or as UV protection, but effectively supplies the entire organism and its cells, allowing them to benefit from this power antioxidant.
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