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Sunscreen and Bug Spray

kminty3kminty3 Raw Newbie

With summer here (finally) I'm looking for suggestions on fairly natural/non toxic sunscreen and bug spray .. (and for bug spray I do not want to spray on vinegar.. just can't do it ) thanks!

Comments

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    Don't use sunscreen. It's basically putting a lot of chemicals on your skin and it blocks the absorption of Vitamin D. If you're on a raw diet, your body should be relatively free of toxins so when you go out in the sun, the sun won't have toxins to draw out (at least that's what I read in a book). I've been reading a lot about it because I'm concerned about the sun, too.

  • gratefultobegratefultobe Raw Newbie

    Here are the Dr Mercola sunscreen & bug spray. I have not tried them myself yet as they are expensive but when you think about all that gets absorbed through our skin I better go natural too. There is a vid you can just pause & scroll down to find prices.

    http://products.mercola.com/summer-survival-kit/

  • kminty3kminty3 Raw Newbie

    thanks for the suggestions!

  • Are you familiar with www.cosmeticsdatabase.com ? Also known as "Skin Deep," it's a site that looks at all the ingredients in products and what those ingredients have been linked to in multiple studies. It then rates the product according to safety. It has not only makeup, but also sunscreen and bug spray, etc. I've used it quite a bit to find products I like and feel good about using. Hope it's helpful!

  • Foot FootFoot Foot Raw Newbie

    Hemp seed oil can be used as a mild sunscreen.

    According to Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival, "The liquid extracted from the bark of tannic trees can be used for bathing, washing clothes, and warding off insects. These solutions will not lather much, but don't let that deceive you. The tannic acid they contain is very powerful. Make the solution stronger or weaker by adding more bark or less water. If you use it for soaps, don't make it so strong that it singes or discolors your skin---unless you want a California tan. Too much tannin will also streak your clothes."

  • superfood2superfood2 Raw Newbie
  • joannabannana, could you recommend some books for me to read about sunscreen being toxic? I've heard it said that sunscreen causes cancer because of the toxins reacting or with the sun (or something along those lines) and this is really important to me. Two of my family members have had skin cancer plus I'm extremely pale and redheaded so the sun is a big issue for me. Thanks!

  • pixxpixx Raw Master

    I don't use sunscreen, so i can't help you there. But bug spray: I've used "Best Yet" (cedar oil and quartz) for over a year now, on my cat (I won't put "drop meds" on my cat, they are toxic!), for myself, and around the house. Great stuff.

    Check around the site, they have different sizes available, this link is to the quart. The small 4 oz bottle is handy, but with shipping it's a bit ridiculous to order that size alone. I have both a quart bottle, and a 4 oz bottle, and last time I bought the gallon to refill my bottles. No, I am not associated with them, I just like the product. A lot.

    http://www.cedarcidestore.citymax.com/catalog/item/3580888/3194699.htm

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    I was just at a seminar the other day where using sunscreen was discussed. My understanding is there are two types of UV rays. UV-A triggers melanin production which is a protection against UV-B and activates Vit D production. UV-B is what causes skin cancer. Sunscreens block UV-A only. Thus you get a quadruple whammy when using sunscreen. You block melanin product and Vit-D production, do nothing for protection against UV-B rays, and you are applying chemicals on your skin that is absorbed into your body. What was suggested is using some type of metallic type application like Zinc Oxide and making sure you are consuming nutrition that is used by the body to protect itself... who knew?

    When backpacking, I have used Tea Tree Oil for bug repellent. It seemed to work well.

  • Tea tree oil is a fair bug repellent.

    As far as sunscreen goes I like hats, scarves and long sleeved shirts. I am not sure if the ingredients in commercial sunscreens are toxic or not so I won't use them.

  • Sunscreens have always made me break out, so I would stay away from them. Then I started reading the negative aspects taht is already mentioned here.

    My coconut oil miracle book says that virgin coconut oil is a natural sun protection. People who used to burn w/o tan claimed that eating the VCO daily and applying it on their skin before sun exposure allowed them to tan nicely. I always put that on now when I go out into the sun.

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    Ginge, I actually read it in Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen. She said if you eat a raw diet, you won't need sunscreen. Your body will be free of toxins and that is basically what causes skin cancer in the first place. The sun draws the toxins to the skin's surface.

    I try not to put stuff on my body that I'm unsure about. I'm nervous about getting burnt, but I'd rather have a sunburn than use sunscreen. Not to get religious, but I feel like God wouldn't put us on this earth to fear the sun. We are exposed to the sun so much so it's obviously not the sun that is poisonous.

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    Don't wear sunscreen! Not only is it chemicals but it also combines with your body's toxins making it more of a cancer causing situation. I noticed when I went raw that even with my fair skin I didn't sunburn.

    I also noticed after going raw that I didn't have a problem with mosquito's anymore because of the lack of sugar intake. It was like a miracle!

  • Troublesjustabut...or anyone else, would you mind sharing any knowledge you have, or referring me to any sources I could read about sun exposure, toxins and raw foods (personal experience counts also)? I've obsessionally used sunscreen since I was a teenager (almost 29). I know more than my share about UV rays work (Bluedolphin's description is spot on - just reverse the UVA and UVB rays around), but that is just one side of the story I believe. I agree with Joannabanana - God (or whatever entity you believe in) would not give us this life-giving force only to have our fellow human doctors advise us to only spend 15-20 minutes a day outside our own four walls.

    Can anyone share how their skin detoxified after stopping sunscreen use? It's confusing - I know young people who lead pretty healthy lifestyles and have plenty of wrinkles and sun-damage from spending lots of time in the sun. I also know several older people who eat more than 50% raw food, don't really have a tan, but obviously aren't extremely dilligent with sun protection, and they look ageless. I think there is a connection to raw foods - I just want to understand it better.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    heloise~ Thankx for the correction. The young people who you know who have wrinkles, etc. are not giving their body what it needs to protect itself even though they lead "pretty healthy lifestyles"... thus the wrinkles, etc. Any less than optimum wellness issue is an indication of that.

    I hope this doesn't open to a heated discussion... something to think about... the wrinkle thang... Hmmm... Is the avoidance of wrinkles society based (trying to obtain that unrealistic, idealistic, airbrushed, photoshopped look?)

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    Heloise-I never thought about the connection to sunburn and toxins until last summer after I went raw. I spent each Saturday at the pool with my family and enjoyed the sunshine(mid day sun has the best health benefits and gives the most vitamin D) with sunscreen and I noticed that as usual I burned almost every time. After doing a water fast I was at the pool and I realized that I hadn't put any sunscreen on yet I'd been out in the sun for two hours with no burn. I went to research it and found the connection between the toxins in our body that are released through our skin mixed with the sunscreen causes a nearly poisonous substance that makes it very easy for cells to mutate into cancer. It's crazy to think about but makes perfect sense. However, I would do some sort of major detox before spending a long time in the sun because the toxins still rise when the sun touches your skin(sweat, pores releasing oils, etc).

  • Tonya ZaVasta has wrote a very informative article on the myths of sunlight and sunscreens in the 2008 summer issue of Fresh magazine. You might want to look into some of her books. In reference to some alternative sunscreens and bug sprays... I thought some might be interested in the "MSM Sunscreen". It acts as a sunscreen, but I have read it has been used as a bug repellent as well. We have not tried this yet, but I am getting ready to order some. I have come to the conclusion that the Sunfood Nutrition and Live-Live brands are one of the same product. Raw suppliers carry the Sunfood Nutrition brand. You can find it at most online raw stores. If you do order some, I would just make sure it is in stock before purchasing. Here are some links to some homemade sunscreens, if anyone is interested...

    http://www.a1-natural-beauty.com/Sunscreen_Lotion.html

    http://skincare.lovetoknow.com/Homemade_Sunscreen

    http://www.vivawoman.net/2008/08/14/homemade-natural-sunscreen-anyone/

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