INTERNAL SUNSCREEN

While many of you over the next few weeks are trading in your skis in Vermont and Colorado for sand in St. Barth's and Turks, I find it very necessary to review sunscreen and sun protection. The video I attached makes me laugh, but it is SO genius at the same time. I couldn't do a better demonstration on cell protection and nutrients than this guy.

If the Twilight series hasn't glamorized being pasty white, then the media has certainly turned us into sun-fearing consumers. It's important to first make one thing very clear: THE SUN IS GOOD FOR YOU!!! You need the sun to manufacture Vitamin D in your body in order to have a properly functioning immune system. Sadly the FACT is most of us are D deficient.

There is a LOT of misinformation about the sun, sun damage and sunscreen circulating around out there. I could write a book on this topic alone, but instead I'm going to teach you about a nutrient called Astaxathin. I first discovered astaxanthin while doing research on natural sunscreen alternatives for a sun story I was doing back in 2008 as beauty editor at a fashion magazine. Astaxanthin is carotenoid generally found in red Micro Algae and in Wild Salmon (farm raised salmon is dyed pink to emulate the red/pink/orange color derived from astaxanthin! In fact scientists say it is the red algae that the salmon ingest that cause them to propel upstream for so many days).

The sun's rays become harmful causing free radical damage and DNA damage when the cell is not properly functioning. This effect is consequential of a diet poor in nutrients, stress, too much sugar consumption, etc.


UVA rays are the deeper rays of the sun that causes the most damage. Simply stated don't be so quick to blame the sun because your cells don't work properly. Most of this damage doesn't show up for many years until the telomeres of the cell begin to shorten (life of the cell is ending).

Astaxanthin literally neutralizes or prevents UVA damage. In fact clients of mine who take it weeks before they go out into the sun say they now never burn. Astaxanthin protects the cell from harmful UVA ray damage, which are the rays that can help cause skin cancer.

Why should you think about Astaxanthin?

-You're working on your Jersey Shore Snooki tan
-You naturally have darker skin which does not burn leaving you more susceptible to skin cancer
-You don't apply your sunBLOCK EVERY 2 hours.
-Your sunscreen is not full spectrum (both UVA and UVB protective)
-You regularly suffer from melasma or liver spots
-You have undergone cosmetic laser or regular chemical peels
-You constantly get skin cancer or basal cell activity no matter how much sunblock you apply
-You break out from your sunscreen products
-Your sunblock doesn't contain both zinc and titanium dioxide
-You care about how many unnecessary chemicals you put into your body that may cause breast cancer or other endocrine disorders

I love that the FDA FINALLY stepped in this year requiring cosmetic companies to reformulate or revamp their sun protection claims. Unless a product is broad spectrum it DOES NOT work! You can read more about the law changes going into place beginning this year HERE.


If you'd like to read more about astaxanthin and its studies the pdf can be found at http://www.naturalnews.com/Files/Astaxanthin.pdf I've attached the purest, cold-pressed source astaxanthin on the market below for your convenience.

Once again beauty, health and anti-aging begins with what you eat!
Now go out and get some Vitamin D! Happy Sunning!


p.s. I do personally believe in sunBLOCK (not sunscreen) especially at the beginning of the summer when you're as white as I am!