Archive: Common Sense Sun Protection

In addition to teaching workshops and writing pamphlets at Community Pharmacy, I occasionally had the opportunity to publish articles about conscious consumerism and self health care in their bi-monthly newsletter, Infused. This article is updated from one published in May 2012.

Sunshine is wonderful! Every year, we see how sunshine coaxes free the strong grip of Wisconsin winters, urging leaves and flowers to open into the softness of spring. It keeps right shining, heating our lakes and streets into steamy summers. We know that sunshine brings us health, too: converting the skin’s cholesterol into Vitamin D, a powerful antioxidant; synchronizing the body’s internal clock for optimum altertness and sleep; lifting the mood from depressed states like Seasonal Affective Disorder. And, even without looking at the science behind the benefits of sunshine, we know that spending time outdoors in warm weather, bathing in the warmth and light from the sun feels good.

Idyllic as sunshine can be, it is also this planet's greatest energy and radiation source, and it's possible to overexpose ourselves. Depleted ozone and air pollution create a greater risk for damaging sun exposure, and skin cancer rates are on the rise around the world. That’s no reason to avoid enjoying beautiful weather, but common sense places sun protection as another valid facet of self health care.

THE SUN & YOU

The Sun is a star at the center of our solar system. It bathes our planet in a spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, including Visible light (sunshine), Infrared rays (accounting for up to 50% of our planet’s heat) and Ultraviolet rays (UVR.) This radiation is vital to life on our planet, utilized in some way by almost every organism.

• Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays (used in tanning beds) trigger melanin production in the skin without burning. However, studies show that UVA rays deeply penetrate the skin, and can ultimately cause long-term skin damage. UVA rays may also enhance UVB ray cancer-causing potential and suppress the immune system. UVA rays pass through cloud cover and most glass.
• Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are the burning and tanning rays, which are generally associated with skin cancer. UVB is filtered out by most glass used in building and car windows.
• Ultraviolet C (UVC) rays are germicidal, and are largely filtered out by the ozone layer of the atmosphere; relatively little reaches the planet's surface.

There are many strategies for protecting ourselves from overexposure to the sun's UV. You may choose to avoid sunlight, especially at peak hours of intensity (usually 10am-2pm.) You may wear clothes that fully cover your skin, and even seek out specifically UV-blocking materials. Many people choose to enjoy sun exposure in moderation, and use a sunscreen lotion to protect their skin from absorbing too much UV. The huge range of sunscreen products can make this a daunting choice. Worse, the sunscreen industry has not done an excellent job explaining how to use their products most effectively. Investigating the labels and ingredients of sunscreens demystifies this overcomplicated products, and improves our ability to look after our wellbeing.

SPF IS ONLY ABOUT SUNBURN

A sunscreen lotion’s SPF rating only indicates how long the product can protect your skin from UVB, the “sunburn rays.” Most people will see their skin sunburned if they stay out in the sunshine, unprotected, for about 15 minutes (though the skin may not feel sunburned for 2-4 hours, or look burned for up to 24). Multiply that time – the time it takes to get a “sunburning dose” of UV radiation – by your sunscreen’s SPF to get an idea of how long that product can protect you from sunburn. For instance, an SPF 15 sunscreen will give you (if you use it correctly – more on that below) 15 x 15 minutes = 3.75 hours (225 minutes) of safe play time to in the sunshine.

Sunscreens with extremely high SPF ratings have recently appeared on the market, creating some confusion about the efficacy of common SPF numbers. While it’s possible that these sunscreens could provide protection for a greater length of time if properly applied, you would be hard-pressed to find the 23.5 hours of sunshine for the protection implied in a SPF 95+ sunscreen! Higher SPF ratings do technically mean greater protection (SPF 15 sunscreens usually test at 93-95% protection, while SPF 30 offer 96-97%), but the new trend of extremely high SPFs is more about marketing than it is about offering a higher quality product. Most dermatologists advise people to wear SPF 25-30 for daily protection.

While UVA doesn't cause sunburns, we know it does damage skin, contributing to skin cancer, oxidation, and wrinkling. The FDA recently revised its expectations of sunscreen labeling to include UVA protection, in addition to the familiar SPF rating. Sunscreens with the phrase 'Broad Spectrum' on their labels meet the FDA's standards for UVA protection.

USE PLENTY OF SUNSCREEN

Sunscreen can only protect the skin it is covering; for your entire body to be protected, your entire body must be covered with sunscreen. In order to offer optimal protection, a sunscreen must be applied liberally, and reapplied often in order to maintain its protective value. For most of us, this means using a lot more sunscreen than we are used to! Industry studies have shown that, for anyone wearing swim trunks or bikini swimsuits, at least 3 Tablespoons (1.5oz.) should be used per application (1 teaspoon of that should be applied to the face and neck)

REAPPLY OFTEN

Lotions don’t last forever. Once applied to the skin, lotions are generally absorbed, worn or washed off, or evaporate in about two hours. This includes sunscreen lotions. Sunscreens also need to be applied well in advance of sun exposure. For optimal protection, apply sunscreen around 30 minutes before you leave the house. This gives the active ingredients a chance to bind to your skin and establish a protective layer. To maintain the coating of sunscreen necessary to protect the skin, reapply (with another 1.5 ounces!) every 90 minutes. If you are swimming or sweating heavily, you’ll want to reapply more often. Yes, this means you will use up an entire tube of SPF 15 when you go to the beach for the afternoon! Using enough sunscreen in each reapplication is the only way to maintain the full promised protection of your sunscreen.

CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES

Once you know a bit about the ways sunscreens work, when to use them, and how to make them work most effectively; you get to choose how sunscreening products can best serve you. Do you want to use sunscreen everyday, or just when you are going out for an afternoon in the sunshine? You also get to make decisions about active sunscreen ingredients and lotion base ingredients. It can seem like a complicated choice. Identifying your personal priorities and letting them guide your product choices is a skillful way of becoming a conscious consumer.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Sunscreens are basically body lotions which contain key ingredients that can either absorb or deflect UV radiation (UVR) in an effort to protect your skin from sun exposure. The most common conventional active ingredients are synthetic, or chemical, compounds which absorb UVR. These have recently been called into question by independent studies. Many chemical sunscreen active ingredients which are now considered photocarcinogens – substances that ironically break down on exposure to sunlight, damaging DNA in the process. Of particular worry are the -benzone and PABA families. The safest chemical active ingredients include the -cinnamate family and ecamsule, which cannot significantly penetrate the skin.

• Avobenzone – UV absorber, May degrade when significantly exposed to light, Suspected photocarcinogen (has a destructive effect on DNA when exposed to light)
• Oxybenzone & Dioxybenzone – UV absorber, Suspected photocarcinogic
• PABA – UV absorber, Increases the formation of a particular DNA defect in human cells, thus increasing the risk of skin cancer
• Padimate-O – UV absorber, PABA-derivative, suspected photocarcinogen

Mineral, or physical, sunscreen ingredients – which deflect UVR away from the skin – are inherently broad-spectrum protectors, are extremely stable, and come with a minimal risk of causing skin irritations (as they cannot generally penetrate the skin). In the past, mineral sunscreens were notorious for their visible whitening effect when applied to the skin, but current formulas use finely micronized minerals (very small particles), which greatly reduces the products’ opacity as it sets into the skin; these sunscreens should become invisible 10-30 minutes after application.

All mineral content in skin care formulas is technically “micronized” (another word for powdered.) Recent concern for safety of extremely fine particles (“nanoparticles”) has to do with minerals powdered to such a degree they can actually penetrate the skin. Particles smaller than 70 nanometers can be absorbed by lung aveoli if inhaled (more an issue in cosmetic powders than sunscreen lotions. Particled micronized to smaller than 50 nanometer can be absorbed into cells. Once absorbed, studies show these nanominerals may act as carcinogens in the body.

SUNSCREEN LOTION BASE

Active ingredients may make the protection, but the majority of our experience of a sunscreen is in the lotion we spread on our skin several times a day. Sunscreen lotions, like body lotions, come in many different densities, scents and ingredients profiles. Some are thick to withstand sweating, some set to a matte finish to improve comfort in warm weather. They come in a range of fragrances; from floral to tropical fruit to deliberately unscented. If you are concerned with skin allergies or chemical sensitivities, you can find sunscreens without synthetic filler ingredients or preservatives. Read labels, try testers, ask the opinions of your friendly neighborhood body care mavens! Choosing a sunscreen with a lotion base you love is key to regular sunscreen use.

Biodegradable sunscreen products became an important focus of the sunscreen industry as environmental organizations identified common sunscreen ingredients to be a major cause of recent coral reef and aquatic ecosystem degradation. To avoid contributing to this type of pollution, choose sunscreens made without synthetic or petroleum ingredients – particularly preservatives such as -parabens, camphor ingredients, or active ingredients in the -cinnamate and -benzone families.

GOOD SENSE

Spending time outdoors is good for the body, mind and heart. Using sunscreen is just one way to keep ourselves safe and healthy over the summer season. We can also support our sun-worshipping hours by staying well hydrated and drinking water every day. Well-hydrated cells are more resistant to damage. Eat the summer's harvest of antioxidant-rich fresh veggies and fruits, especially those containing high levels of lycopene like tomatoes, kale and spinach. These can help repair cellular damage from radiation and may protect the skin from burning easily. Eating omega 3-rich foods like wild-caught ocean fish reduces inflammation in the body, and may help the skin heal from sunburn more quickly.

Navigating the sunscreen industry is complicated by marketing misinformation and frequently evolving research results. Common sense, critical thinking and attentive label reading are the hallmarks of conscious consumers. This summer, the big themes for safety in the sunshine to remember are: liberal use of sunscreen, regular reapplication, and keeping an eye on the active ingredients we choose. And don’t forget the picnic blanket!  

Archive: I Love Love ,,, and Crafts!

While many of my workshops at Community Pharmacy were oriented towards holiday gift-making, I also taught about DIY body care, women's health, chemical sensitivities, and aromatic herbalism. Here is an article in the spirit of those workshops, which was originally published in CP's newsletter, Infused, in Feb. 2010.

Valentine’s Day is my second-favorite holiday, a fact that most of my friends find eye-rollingly silly. Even though it may have originated as a greeting-card marketing scheme, Valentine’s has become the one day every year when we are all encouraged to think about love, and sensory pleasure. Think about it: an entire holiday for contemplating the infinite variety of loving expression in our lives. Whether you are happily relating or happily single, emotional wellbeing and sensuality are a part of a healthy life.

If our brains are our largest erogenous zones, then intentions are our strongest aphrodisiac. When we take the time to infuse oil with fragrant herbs, or flavor a honey with delicious spices, we spend time attending to our wellbeing. This attention, and time, helps us not only to slow down and focus on the important things in our lives, but also to create a durable niche in our lives for those important things. And just as there are many healthy ways to express emotions and explore sensuality, there are many delightful and daring delicacies for all your senses.

Herbs traditionally used in aphrodisiac formulas are gentle and effective, offering subtle fragrances, delicate flavors and unique medicinal nourishment. These herbs may calm the nervous system, stimulate the circulatory system and tone the adrenal system; each in their own ways soothing or exciting the body so it can more easily find pleasure. Getting to know these herbs, and the ways they benefit your individual physiology, is another exploration in sensuality.

Relaxing herbal aphrodisiacs calm the mind, lift the mood and alleviate any tension or anxiety which may be interfering with libido: Catnip, Fennel, Jasmine, Lemon Balm, Oatstraw, Rose, Vanilla

Flirting Tisane – a fragrant, floral and feisty hot drink

• 1/2 C rose petals
• 1/4 C damiana
• 1/4 C catnip
• honey to taste

    Steep 1 tablespoon tisane blend in 1 cup boiling water, covered, for 10-20 minutes, and strain before enjoying.

Pillow Talk Infused Body Oil - a sweet and fresh skin oil

• 2 C almond oil
• 1 C catnip leaves
• 1 C damiana leaves

    Combine herbs in a quart jar and cover with oil. Place jar in a pan of simmering water and heat in this double boiler for 2-3 hours. Remove from heat, strain and discard herbs. Store in dark glass and use for moisturizing, massage or as a base for salve and lip balm.

Stimulating herbal aphrodisiacs increase circulation throughout the body and raise energy levels and alertness. While strong stimulants (horny goat weed, yohimbe) should only be used occasionally and on a short term basis, gentle stimulants may be used on a regular basis: black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, damiana, ginger, maca, ylang-ylang

Sun’s Spices Honey - a warming, stimulating sweet treat

• 1 C raw honey
• ½ T powdered ginseng root
• 1/2 T powdered ginger root
• 1 T powdered maca root
• 1 t powdered cinnamon bark
• 1 t powdered cardamom seeds

    Combine all ingredients in a tempered bowl placed in a pan of simmering water. Stir constantly, till honey melts and the herb powder is incorporated, then heat for another 30 minutes. Remove honey from heat and transfer to a clean glass jar with a tight lid. Allow the honey to further infuse in a sunny spot for 2 weeks before enjoying. Drizzle 1 teaspoon into your favorite tea, onto fruit salads, or a friend!

Spice Garden Aromatherapy Body Oil - floral with a kick

• 1 C almond oil
• 35 drops lavender eo
• 25 drops cardamom eo
• 10 drops bergamot eo

    Combine essential oils in a dark glass bottle, then add almond oil. Shake well. Let steep for 7-10 days to allow scent to mature before using as a moisturizer or massage oil.

Tonic herbal aphrodisiacs are used regularly to maintain good health and improve strength, stamina and vitality: Basil, Dong Quai, Ginger, Lycii, Maca, Oatstraw, Sandalwood, Sarsaparilla (for men), Shatavari (for women), Vetiver

Bright Eyes, Big Smile Body Oil – a sunny, come-hither moisturizer

• 3 oz almond oil
• 1 oz calendula-infused oil
• 12 drops bergamot eo
• 8 drops ylang-ylang eo
• 4 drops sandalwood or cedar eo
• 4 drops vetiver eo
• 2 drops ginger eo

    Combine essential oils in a dark glass, 4-oz bottle. Add infused and almond oils, shake well. Letting steep for 3-7 days will allow scent to mature. Use after bathing, or for massage.

Daily Delight Tisane – a long-steep tisane to drink every day for ongoing stress relief and deep reservoirs of wellbeing

• ½ C oat straw
• ½ C lemon balm leaves
• 2 T rose petals

    Combine herbs in a quart mason jar, fill with boiling water. Cap tightly and let steep 8 hours or overnight. Drink 1-4 cups per day, warm or chilled.

Essential oils (eo) are the concentrated distillations of aromatic herbs prized for their therapeutic scents. In aromatherapy, there are two families of scents that are classically romantic in many people's minds: florals and sweet spices. Just as roses are a symbol of love, essential oils distilled from flowers offer us the aromas of beautiful bouquets and have nerve-calming, mood-lifting benefits. Essential oils distilled from sweet spices offer us cozy, comforting aromas with body- and heart-warming effects! Through the aromas of beautiful blooms and comforting kitchens, many people easily find feelings of affection, joy and intimacy. Using essential oils from these families in perfumes, massage oils or room scenting can be and an ideal way to invite aroma into a sensory feast for yourself and your home. 

Silk Sheets Aromatherapy Spray - a warm, sweet, spicy and deep bedroom scent

• 3 oz distilled water
• 1 oz 100+ proof vodka
• 10 drops rose geranium eo
• 5 drops cinnamon eo
• 5 drops clove eo
• 3 drops patchouli eo

    Combine in a spray bottle, let steep 3-7 days for scent to mature. Shake well before spraying anywhere.

Hothouse Flower Aromatherapy Perfume

• 2 t jojoba oil
• 35 drops petigrain eo
• 20 drops ylang-ylang eo
• 5 drops vetiver eo

    Combine essential oils in a 1/3 oz roller vial, then add jojoba oil. Letting steep for 3-7 days will allow scent to mature. Apply as desired.

Making your own Personal Lubricants can be an excellent alternative to commercially available lubricants, which are often made with synthetic ingredients that may upset delicate skin, contributing to irritation and infection. These simple recipes are made with food-grade ingredients. They are intended to be made and used fresh; having no preservatives they will only stay good for a week or so.

Flax Seed Lube – a totally organic mid-weight lube

• 1/2 C organic flax seeds
• 3 C distilled water

    Boil water in a non-reactive saucepan. Rinse flax seeds in warm water. Add seeds to water and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, cover and steep another 5 minutes. Immediately strain liquid thoroughly (through a mesh strainer and 3 layers of cheesecloth). Discard seeds and store in a very clean bottle. Latex-friendly. Makes approx. 2 cups.

Lube of the Future – a light, superslick, nontoxic lube

• 1 t xanthan gum powder
• 1 t sea salt
• 2 C distilled water

    Combine salt and xanthan gum in a non-reactive saucepan. Whisk in water, a few tablespoons at a time. Bring water to a boil, stirring constantly while formula thickens. Remove from heat and strain immediately through a mesh strainer. Discard any remaining solids and store in a very clean bottle. Latex friendly. Makes approx. 2 cups.  

Hammam #1: Hamam

In Berlin, I met my first modern bathhouses, places created intentionally for this generation, the daughters of those cultural edifices reaching out to us from Tradition. Intercultural lovestories and our modern access to everything actually can, I'm grateful to say, create spaces of beauty and healing. Berlin shines in my mind as a hopeful answer from many directions.

Hamam is a women's bathhouse, embedded in a larger women's community center, all of which is housed in what used to be a chocolate factory just to the east of the Wall. The neighborhood is lively and human-scale, though the architecture is made of bland Bloc blocks. As I walked from the train station, the temperature dropped by degrees, and powdery snow fell. Down a alley into a courtyard used in the warm months for sunning and sipping, Hamam already feels tucked away and special. I rang a blue doorbell and was welcomed into a jeweled oasis, and by far the sweetest bathhouse I have ever relaxed in.

It's beautiful inside, warm light, white plaster arches and the scent of honey and tea. A theme of couches and pillows begins in the welcome room and is repeated in every part of the hamam that isn't actively wet. The walls are studded with colored glass lamps, reproductions of romantic-era hamam paintings and photographs of modern hamams in action. In the upper lounge, there is a large bookshelf for browsing, and a counter with astringent tea and oranges to buy and massages to schedule. The changing room is a logistical afterthought, lockers in a curtained hallway. Everyone after is wrapped in huge fluffy towels, their own robes or pestemals (soft plaid fabric worn like a sarong, or Indian lungi.) Women carry their potions and tools in duffel bags or baskets. Carpeted stairs wind down to curtained glass doors and the baths.Within the hamam itself the air is warm and lights softer, and the ceiling hung with glowing fabrics. The couches, deep as twin beds, are upholstered in vinyl, piled with pillows, and every few feet supplied with throw blankets. Women sit and doze and read and chat softly, rosy from bathing and relaxed.

Past the resting room, narrow halls decorated with tile mosaic branch to massage rooms, sauna and cold shower, and the beating heart of the hamam: the bellystone room. Little bells of falling water ring off

the raw marble walls from the deep marble sinks set into alcoves. The air is dim and warm and carries light scents of lemon and rose. The domed ceiling holds a gold-flecked floral mosaic rosette in blues and greens, and round frosted skylights. The bellystone, an octagonal slab of polished marble and bigger than a king-sized bed, fills the space at knee-height. I lay my towel on the stone and lay myself on the towel, and warmth began pouring into my skin. The bellystone is not hot, but warm like an electric blanket, enough to prompt sweat but also enough to provoke absolute contentment. After a very few moments I was drifting, melted like butter.

Eventually, I wandered to an alcove, filled a sink with warm water, and used a silver bowl and soft cloth to douse and polish myself clean. I was visiting Hamam on “children's day” (it was also my birthday) and for the first time, I got to see what babies think of bathhouses. Giggling and splashing, shining pinkly after their bath, curled napping between reclining women on the bellystone, melted like little pats of butter. In no particular order, and with as much repetition as desired, the activities of the bellystone room seem to rotate around this dousing and dosing, and as the hours slip by, all bodies ease into a languid, liquid comfort. I did visit the sauna down the hall (small and wooden in classic Finnish homage, 80 degrees and filled with heavy lemongrass steam) but stayed only long enough to admire the efficient layout. The pace of the hamam was so contrary to extremes, I didn't miss sweating at all.

Hamam offers its tickets in 3-hour increments. I usually find I'm done with my bathing routines somewhere around 2 hours, and then I bounce or slide out of the bathhouse feeling rejuvenated and fresh. At Hamam, I spent a post-bath hour curled up on their magnificent couches, sipping tea and looking at the pictures in German magazines. During the extra time relaxing, the warmth and softness from the bellystone worked its way deeper under my skin, releasing tension and resolving my body into balance. When I finally left, snow was sticking, and it was colder still, but I was completely warm. I was warm for hours after.

Hamam: Bathing in the Chocolate Factory Women's Center

A Quick Digression

In the middle of my affair with Helsinki, a hostel roomate said, "You want to see a Real Living Bathhouse? You should go to Estonia!" So I spent the weekend in Tallinn, in the 1/2-mile square of Vanalinn (Old Town) a beautiful crumb of medieval cobbling holding down a port city. It overlooks the bay from a seat equal parts living stone and masonry, and every wall feels about 3 feet thick. I'm sure there are other parts of Tallinn which are lovely and interesting, I'm sure this city's public transportation system and everyday neighborhoods are full of adventure. But I feel such a vacation-like luxury here, I have no interest in them at all. All I want can be found wandering down tiny streets and craning my neck at stone reliefs. Tiny shops full of amber and pottery and the clouds of glowing wool creations. Museums venerable and contemporary, and art galleries by the acre.

One most excellent museums is the Nuku Museum of Puppet Arts: this is their "Steampunk Puppet Theater" -- a glowing window of clockwork automatons that whirl into jangly action every 30 minutes.

There's a funny thing happening to my field of vision, out here where I well and truly have no comprehension of the language. Automatic and endemic reader that I am, imagine my surprise now that the printed word has absolutely no meaning here. Advertising has turned into simple visual impact. Signage is visual noise. I might as well read dream newspapers. At first this was distracting, a little distressing, and I felt its loss. But now its like being sent home from work, with only a slight fever, and nothing to do the rest of the day. I've been freed from responsibility, in a bewildering way. Where did I put that ability to comprehend? I have become that smiling foreigner who simply has no clue. Strangers are lovely and helpful in need. Children think pantomime is hilarious. Shopkeepers are either kindly or exasperated. Bus drivers will let you get away with anything. I'm in a silent-film comedy.

Beyond the Bus

The sun is rising on land brand new, and I am heading out, out. Past a jigsaw night of highway and other people's dreams bumping into mine. Past cell phone networks and into the parlors of badgers and falling stars.

Got my home on my back again, and the image of my campsite calling. All I need is a good warm hat, and all the week will be cozy.

See you back in the world.

Incubation complete!

Remember the first rechargable batteries? How the older they got, the longer you needed to recharge them? I think Compelling Inspiration is like that. The longer you live with it on the periphery, lovely to think about but not the driving core of your days, the harder it is to shine it up and warm it up til it's a perpetual energy engine. Stoke that fire or it will barely flicker forever, making no difference at all in your illumination!

No time like the present.

Sitting in simple presence with 95 others -- in the same pace of growing up, with the same concerns shaking off unhappy programming, the same undirected fervor that now is the time for something -- was a steady positioning of self-conscious sight in the lens of living today. Meeting in the woods with 560 others -- of four generations, with the same

Today I'm back from the women's herb conference, and I'm trying to polish this spark. This past month has been about settling and taking stock, a lot of internal work -- a lot of the time I doubt this "just thinking" (daydreaming, planning, remembering, hoping, fearing, wanting, avoiding, judging, justifying, narrating, actually seeing it all happen in my mind) and I have to call up patience to sit with it, still, and let this unravelling thing soften me up. Like a roast in Brother's crockpot. The meditation retreat was one thing, familiar, skill-building for its own sake. But a weekend with these women!, these herbs, this great yawning healing wellspring of magic; this is another continuum altogether. The weekend storming, in hurricane tail and drumming and honest voices, familiar in my marrow but like having my old face wiped away with snakeskin. A tipping point, I can feel something churning up in the silt of my soul, some molten thing sliding up behind me, some ladder urging me outward, upward, forward. And I'm ready to go.

No time like the present.

My dear, that thing you love, that you have always loved since you opened your eyes, that your body pulls to with the honest magnetics of trust; do that thing. Once. Today. Now.

Again.