Ayurveda on Sunshine and Sunscreen

India’s oldest natural medicine,  Ayurveda,  is a giant collection of knowledge about the human body.  In this Ayurvedic article by Dr. Helen Thomas, we learn Ayurveda’s knowledge and the benefits of sunlight and proper sunlight exposure.  Learn what Ayurveda recommends as a natural alternative to modern chemical sunscreen.

Ayurveda on Sunshine and Sunscreen

By Dr. Helen Thomas, D.C. | June 11, 2008

Dear Friend of Ayurveda,

I’ve never used sunscreen. Not once in my entire life! From when I was a kid, long before studying Ayurveda, I intuitively knew it was bad for me.

In fact, most kids don’t like sunscreen. It smells bad, it feels icky. It’s not something they want to cover their bodies with.
But their parents tell them they can’t go out and play, without the sunscreen.

North Americans Are So Afraid of the Sun

In fact, one of my patients was telling me how he was at a family gathering. One of the mothers attending noticed he didn’t put sunscreen on their 16-month old child. Instead, he kept him covered most of the time, but let him have a good thirty or so minutes a day of direct sunshine. Well, this other mother started accusing him of putting his son at risk of skin cancer. “It’ll be your responsibility!” she started ranting.

Yes, someone dies from skin cancer every hour in North America. But there are a lot of factors involved (which I’ll cover in another issue) and the sun is only ONE of them. In fact, sunshine produces vitamin D, which has been shown to produce amazing affects in preventing and reversing cancer.

Now, I’m not saying it’s good to get burnt by the sun. That’s obviously destructive. But stop and take a look at the ingredients on most tubes of sunscreen. They are filled with unpronounceable chemicals. And because sunscreen is usually formulated with (processed) oil, all those chemicals are going to seep directly through your skin into your bloodstream.
Do You Want Sunscreen Lotion Circulating

Through Your Vital Organs?

I bet if you look on any bottle of sunscreen, it says, “avoid contact with mouth or eyes.” Probably followed by warnings about swallowing.

But, as those who’ve been to my Ayurvedic Skin Care site know, your skin eats . Sunscreen gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream, where it is distributed throughout your body.

On the other hand, if you were to eat your sunscreen, it would have to make it through the “gatekeeper” (your stomach and small intestine). Your gut is setup to filter out poisons. Sure, it may induce vomiting, but at least that gets it out of your system.

That’s why it would probably be healthier to have kids eat their sunscreen rather than to wear it. Not that I’m recommending you do either.

Yet, as a recent CBC Newsworld article was preaching, “…one of the biggest mistakes people make about sunscreen is they don’t use enough of it.”

Yes, I agree you need protection from the sun, but…

Your Typical Sunscreen Product is Not the Solution

First thing you should realize is that exposing yourself to large doses of the sun’s rays all at once is not healthy. You’re much better off having short daily sunbaths (or moon baths!) like I explain in the Effortless Ayurvedic Beauty Guide.

This is especially true if you have white skin. Darker skinned people, on the other hand, not only can take more sunshine, they need it (because they are more resistant to vitamin D). In the end, you should listen to your body… if you feel like you’ve had enough sun, get in the shade, wear a hat, cover up… don’t start slathering on more goop.

That said, sometimes we want to tan. Or our kids are running around uncontrollably outside, having fun. Even though you put a hat and shirt on them when they head out the door, they’ll come back with just their boxer shorts.

So next issue, I’ll tell you about a very, very inexpensive oil you can apply to your skin that has been used safely in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It also doubles as a mosquito repellent! Not only is it harmless, but it also nourishes your skin, increasing it’s alkaline content, all the while preventing a host of other skin problems. If your skin overheats in the summer (attention all pittas!) then this all-natural oil will help with that, too.
So stay tuned!

Namaste,

Dr. Helen Thomas, D.C.
Ayurvedic Practitioner

P.S. Can anybody guess which oil I’m talking about? Also, does anybody know why sunscreen companies just don’t promote this oil instead of their toxic formulas? Please leave your comments below.

P.P.S. For other great skin care tips from the science of Ayurveda, sign up for the FREE course at EffortlessAyurvedicBeauty.com .

Source: http://effortlessayurvedicliving.com/archives/2008/06/11/ayurveda-on-sunshine-and-sunscreen/

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Tags: Ayurveda, ayurvedic, skin, sunscreen