|
Though everyone wants their homes to get adequate sunlight and it is recommended to get some exposure to the sun daily in order to strengthen one's bones, prolonged exposure to the sun's rays is not good for the skin. Apart from the tanning effect, the sun's ultra-violet rays cause skin cancer and this risk has increased with the depletion of the ozone layer which filtered the harmful UV rays from reaching the earth's surface. It is thus recommended to adequately protect one's skin before stepping out into the sun, by wearing a wide-brimmed hat to shield the face from direct exposure to the sun and covering ones' arms and legs with loose, cotton clothing. However this is often not enough and one must supplement these simple measures with a sunscreen lotion. A good sunscreen lotion with an adequately high sun protection factor is a must throughout the year, be it summer or winter. You should choose the right SPF between 15 and 45 depending on your skin type and exposure to the sun. For instance, mild exposure to the winter sun requires an SPF of 15 or 20, however if you have fair, pale skin that is prone to sunburns and you intend to spend a lot of time on the beach you should choose an SPF of at least 45 or more. These days there are some excellent sunscreen lotions available with additional herbal extracts to soothe the skin and keep it moisturized. Since the face, especially the nose are easily affected you can look for a good sunscreen lotion that does not clog the skin's pores and protects the face gently.
There is however recent research that points out to the negative effects of sunscreen lotions. Though sunscreen lotions are used to protect one's skin from the harmful ultra-violet rays and prevent skin cancer, they seem to be paradoxically linked to the increase of an untreatable type of skin cancer, known as malignant melanoma. One theory states that the use of sunscreen lotion leads to unmonitored and prolonged exposure to the sun's harmful rays, thus increasing the risk of skin cancer. Yet another research has shown important links between malignant melanoma and the reduced synthesis of Vitamin D in the body. It seems that prolonged use of sunscreen lotions actually inhibits the synthesis of Vitamin D which is know to prevent growth of cancer by obstructing the growth of the cancerous skin cells. Since Vitamin D can thus effectively prevent malignant melanoma, it is important to increase the synthesis of Vitamin D in the body. Certain food products such as cod liver oil, sardines, salmon and mackerel are rich sources of Vitamin D. However the best source of Vitamin E remains sunlight. Researches are thus being conducted into how one can increase the levels of Vitamin D absorption in the body by using sunscreen lotions.
|
