Hooray- it seems that summer has decided to pay us an early visit this year! Before we jinx it all, let’s thank Mother Nature for all the lovely sunshine we’ve been having this month- and let’s hope it continues into the season too. We’ve been loving the bright mornings and sunshine filled afternoons, but we’ve also been conscious that our skincare regimes need a little tweaking now that temperatures have really started to rise. This week we’re looking at three eco friendly ways that we can protect our skin this summer- and sharing a couple of DIY recipes for you too. Enjoy!
First of all, we’d like to stress that using sun protection is highly recommended throughout the summer months. We are not for one moment suggesting that you ditch it in favour of an all natural (ie, naked skin) approach. But we are advocating awareness of and enhancing your knowledge of products and materials that will protect your skin in the sunshine. If you are stuck, then go ahead and grab a bottle off the shelf- better that than the affects of sun exposure. But if you do have time to properly prepare and plan, then please do. Here are three eco friendly things you can do today.
Read, research and refuse
As with anything, you need to read your labels when you buy suncream. You need to read and understand what is going into making your product, and you need to make sure that you’ve researched the brands that you’re buying from. If you’re not happy either with the manufacturers ethics or the ingredients used in the products, then you can refuse to use them. Instead, research the brands that are suitable for you and make sure you have plenty in stock for the summer. The same goes for natural and DIY remedies. If you are confident that you want to go down the home made route, then make sure you read up and understand what you need to do to make your own sun protection. Remember that the affects of too much sun exposure can be life changing, so this isn’t something you want to leave to chance. Leading us on to our next tip…
Make your own
It is possible to make your own sun protection creams and lotions, but as already highlighted you must be willing to research how to do this properly. There are certain natural ingredients that will provide protection against the sun’s harmful rays, but be aware that they will need to be re-applied more frequently than products that you can buy over the counter. Remember also that the SPF of natural, home made sun screens is very difficult to determine.
Many commercial sun screens contain toxins and ingredients that don’t sit well with those interested in leading an eco friendly life, so making your own might be a no brainer. Ingredients such as almond oil, coconut oil and red raspberry seed oil are great for using in home made sun screen recipes, and shea butter is wonderful for adding an additional hydrating factor. This recipe on Wellness Mama is easy to follow and sounds amazing. Alternatively, this recipe for a beautiful non toxic sun screen from Mind, Body, Green should tick all the boxes too.
Seek shade whenever you can
It goes without saying that the best sun protection is shade, and so wherever you can, seek it! Staying indoors when the sun is at it’s hottest (between the hours of 11am and 3pm) is recommended, and wearing long sleeves and trousers made from lightweight fabrics is a good idea too. That said, it’s not always possible, so where you can it’s always a good idea to wear a hat that has a wide brim to shade your face, and avoid open spaces without the shade from buildings and trees etc.
