Glowing Naturally in the Summer Sun, Part I
The sun can boost brain levels of serotonin which is the neurotransmitter directly associated with good mood. Sun induced smiles are so wonderful. The best part is this happens simply when you see sunlght. So while taking a stroll outdoors for an hour is ideal, just ten minutes of fresh sunlight and a little glimmer in your eyes will help more than you know.
Today, I’d love to share some glorious, all natural, summer skin savers, many of which you may have in your cupboard. These ingredients are all from nature and may help keep you healthy in the sunshine. Treats like apricots and pomegranate with refreshing tea and aloe coolers create healing elixers that will give you that summer glow naturally.
Green Tea contains Camellia Sinesis (its plant of origin) which is rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are compounds that demonstrate protection from uv sun damage and prevention of oxidative stress. In fact it had been proven that applying green tea to the skin reduced the number of sunburn cells! I suggest making a toner from your extra tea bags because this summer we need all the skin saving shortcuts we can find.
White tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant just like green tea, however white tea leaves are harvested earlier in spring, air-dried and foregoe the heating process of green tea. This fact makes white tea one of the richest in cancer-fighting anti-oxidants in the world. Many have proven white tea is anti-aging and can help keep the skin youthful. I adore Arcona’s White Tea Cleanser as I mentioned previously.
Aloe is the perfect summer soother. As Emma, mentioned earlier Aloe is “Scientifically known to draw oxygen to skin” Aloe had wonderful anti-inflammatory properties and heals burns and wounds. Aloe is also made into a juice that cleanses and purifies the inner system giving an outer glow of purity.
Mix the pure juice with a little splash of lime, honey or agave syrup and H2O or sparkeling mineral for a refreshing summer cooler.
Pomegranate like green and white tea is full of polyphenols and contains ellagic acid known for antiinflammatory and antibactrerial properties. Some have said pomegranete can ward off colds or shorted the duration. Pomegranate extract, when added to sunscreen fortifies it into a super protective agent. Actually it shows about a twenty percent improvement in the SPF thanks to new research on the topic.
Apricots help keep one youthful! Recently I learned about anti-aging snacks reading this article and discovered apricots are an amazing anti-aging fruit. Carotenoids are antioxidants found in this fruit that protect the body.
Photo by Johntex, with permission granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license
My summer glow is all natural and last all year. It was given to me by my mother and father ( I am of Afro-Caribbean descent ).
Do you know the facts about tanning & sunburn?
ß There is no such thing as a safe tan. A tan is visual evidence that skin has been
damaged.
ß There is no such thing as a safe sunburn. A sunburn means that the rays of sun have
burned your skin.
ß A “base tan” offers no protection. There is no evidence that getting a tan will protect
your skin in any way.
ß Tanning booths do not provide “safe” tans. The wavelengths of light used will burn
your skin just as readily as the sun.
ß Everyone eventually has wrinkles. However, repeated overexposure to the sun will
substantially speed up the wrinkling process.
ß Protecting your skin from the sun will reduce the likelihood of skin cancer.
The American Academy of Dermatology has relegated all of us to one of six
skin types and if you are in the first three categories, you are most prone to photo aging (and should use sunscreen every day in all weather and seasons).
Here’s how to find your closest skin type.
Type one: You burn easily, never tan, are red headed and have freckles, especially common among those of Irish, Scottish or Welsh descent.
Type two: You burn easily, but you get a minimal tan. You have fair skin and hair and blue eyes.
Type three: You sometimes burn, but can get a light brown tan. You’re dark-haired and Caucasian or Asian.
Type four: You minimally burn and usually tan to a moderate brown; more prevalent among Caucasians of Mediterranean descent or light-skinned people of African, Asian, Hispanic, Indian or Middle Eastern ancestry.
Type five: You rarely burn (lucky you!) and tan well. You are of Middle Eastern, Asian, Hispanic, Indian or African descent.
Type six: Your skin never burns and you’re sun insensitive. You are probably of African descent with deep skin pigmentation.
Thanks for the info.
I’m English, Mediterranean, and part French descent, so yes, the categories vary depending on each individual. This list is great to remember when using sunscreen. The nutrients mentioned in this article (can accompany spf) are to help, heal, repair, protect and renew skin that may have already experienced sun damage or to enhance sun protection along with a healthy sunscreen.
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