Heading to the beach, pool, or lake this summer? What would a day by the water be without a little color? The goal is not to turn into a lobster; rather, it should be to get a subtle kiss from the sun in the form of a tan.

Spending a lot of time in the sun can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper measures to protect your skin. You can continue to apply sunscreen (preferably a safe mineral version) and spend trade off between sun exposure and time in the shade. Should you want to absorb some free vitamin D and tan, you may want to use a tanning oil. 

How Does Tanning Oil Work?

Essentially, a tanning oil helps to accelerate the process of tanning when you are out in the sun. Tanning oils attract more UV rays to help you achieve a deeper tan by allowing your skin to absorb them at an increased rate. When you apply a thin layer of tanning oil to the skin, you lower the skin’s refractive index. The result is a nice looking tan, but how healthy is this process for your skin? 

Most tanning oils lack SPF protection, even if you use natural oils, including coconut oil, sunflower oil, or olive oil. Most tanning oils have 15 SPF or less, but that is not enough to protect your skin from UV rays. Without proper SPF protection, the skin is not protected from sun exposure. Tanning is inherently “not great” for your skin, but you can tan smartly. If you want to tan, try to use an SPF of at least 30 and reapply every couple hours. Don’t forget to find shade so you aren’t in the sun for too long. 

A quick note: tanning is ultimately caused by an increase of melanin pigment formation. That only results from damage to the skin from harmful UV rays. Just keep that in mind when you decide to tan. 

Sun Protective Natural Ingredients

It is very important to understand that natural oils do not offer the same sun protection as natural oils. A 2021 study found that raspberry seed oil sits around 2.6 SPF, while carrot seed, coconut and wheat germ oils range from 0 to 2.8 SPF. A previous study from 2010 looked at the SPF of carrier oils and essential oils. Carrier oils ranged from 2 to 8 SPF, while essential oils ranged from 1 to 7 SPF. Olive oil and peppermint essential oil scored the highest. The only downside is that the study wasn’t conducted on human skin.

Even though the DIY tanning oil recipe in this article is not the same as regular sunscreen, it is healthier than a store bought tanning oil. This tanning oil contains olive oil, which has oleic acid and supports clearer skin. It also helps repair sun damage and may soothe dry skin. Plus, olive oil has high levels of squalene, which protects skin cells from aging. 

This tanning oil also contains avocado oil, which helps increase collagen production. Avocado oil is also rich in UV-protectant carotenoids, which offer mild protection from sun damage. Carrot seed oil offers vitamin A and vitamin E protection, which help fight off UV rays. Finally, raspberry seed oil is rich in antioxidants and doesn’t leave a greasy film after application. 

DIY Tanning Oil

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red raspberry seed oil
• 1/2 teaspoon carrot seed oil
• 10 drops sandalwood essential oil (optional)
• 10 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
• 1 teaspoon bronze mica powder (optional)

Instructions:

• Add all of the ingredients, including the optional ones if using, to an amber glass bottle and shake well to combine. If you have a bottle with a pump or pop top, that is ideal. 
• Use as needed for mild sun exposure to help get a golden tan without burning the skin. 
• As a reminder, this is not a replacement for sunscreen and should not be used as such.

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The days are here, friends! You know what days we are talking about, the ones where you sit by the pool, throw a football on the beach, go on the lake, or, quite literally, you soak up the summer sun. There is nothing quite like a lazy summer day in the sun, but you’ll suffer the consequences if you don’t properly care for your skin. 

In your younger years, you probably weren’t as vigilant about sun protection. Once you pass a certain threshold, you understand the importance of skin care, especially if you are going to be in the sun. You also understand that you have to properly care for the skin after sun exposure. You won’t always return home from a day in the sun with a sunburn. You can, however, decrease your risk of sunburn by taking precautions, such as applying sunscreen and finding shade when possible. When you feel like your skin is a little hotter than usual after sun exposure, apply the after sun lotion in this article. 

Green Tea

This after sun lotion contains green tea, which may seem like an unusual ingredient for such a DIY skin care product. Green tea works to reduce inflammation and provides lots of antioxidants and polyphenols that fight sun damage and free radicals. Even if you do not get burnt, these antioxidants can help fight the free radicals that develop from sun exposure. Green tea also works to fight the signs of aging and promotes rejuvenation, which is necessary after sun exposure. 

Aloe Vera Gel

When you think of after sun care, your mind probably goes straight to aloe vera gel. It soothes the skin and helps accelerate recovery from a sunburn. If you put it in the fridge and then apply it to your warm, sunburnt skin, it is a revelation. Most people have used the sap from the aloe plant to soothe skin for centuries. It has an instant cooling effect and works to fight inflammation. Studies have shown that aloe vera also increases cell turnover and promotes new cell growth. Mostly composed of water, aloe vera works to moisturize and nourish the body, enhancing the skin barrier and preventing moisture loss after application.

Essential Oils

Similar to aloe vera, some essential oils, such as peppermint essential oil, provide an instant cooling effect when topically applied to the skin. Peppermint essential oil helps to draw heat out of the body, which is necessary if you have a sunburn. Finally, the lavender essential oil in this after sun lotion has a soothing scent that helps to calm the mind and body. It also works to clean the skin’s surface, reduce inflammation, and lessen pain. 

After Sun Lotion

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons beeswax pellets
• 1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
• 1/3 cup pure aloe vera gel
• 25 drops vitamin E oil
• 25 drops peppermint essential oil
• 20 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

• Add the coconut oil and beeswax pellets to a small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir frequently until fully melted and clear.
• Add the matcha powder and stir to combine. Allow the matcha to steep in the oil and beeswax mixture for one hour over very low heat. 
• Pour the matcha-infused oil mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve into a heat-safe bowl. 
• Add the remaining ingredients to the same bowl and whisk all of the ingredients together by hand or with an electric mixer. 
• Once you have thoroughly whisked the ingredients, pour the mixture into a glass jar and allow it to cool at room temperature. This will take some time. 
• When the mixture is cool, you can use it immediately. If you want to go the extra mile to have a fluffy consistency, you can pour the mixture back into a bowl and whisk with an electric mixture. 
• Store the after sun lotion in a glass jar in the fridge to keep it as fresh as possible. This will also enhance the cooling effects of some of the ingredients in the after sun lotion.

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We’re in it now, people! The hottest months of the year are upon us and you are either feeling dry heat or intense humid heat. No matter which heat is making you sweat, you’ve probably thought of different ways to keep cool. Wearing the right clothes, drinking plenty of fluids, and limiting outdoor activities during hot weather are common ways to stay cool. Have you thought about how your hair may protect you from dehydration and overheating?

According to new research that was published on June 6, 2023, scientists evaluated different hair types and found that curly hair provided the most protection for the sun’s heat. Researchers and anthropologists state that humans evolved in equatorial Africa, where the sun beams down overhead for most days of the year. Investigators behind the study wanted to understand how the heat generated hour after hour from intense sunshine affected the evolution of hair. Anthropologists found that tightly curled hair helped humans stay cooler and conserve more water. 

Curls Have Air Pockets That Aid Cooling

In order to simulate the extreme elements that our ancestors faced, researchers used a thermal manikin. This human-shaped model employed electric power to simulate body heat, allowing scientists to study heat transfer between human skin and the environment. Scientists also used human hair wigs of diverse textures to help get a better understanding of which hair type kept the body cool.

Scientists program the manikin to maintain a constant surface temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (F), which is similar to the average surface temperature of human skin. The manikin was then placed in a climate-controlled wind tunnel. Scientists took baseline measurements of body heat loss by monitoring the amount of electricity required by the manikin to maintain a constant body temperature. The researchers then shined lamps on the manikin’s head to mimic solar radiation under four scalp and hair conditions. These conditions were as follows:

• Completely bald
• Moderately curled
• Tightly curled
• Straight

The scientists had to calculate heat loss in a high-heat, high-humidity scenario, mimicking equatorial Africa, on all of the hair types. They found that all hair types reduced solar radiation to the scalp. Tightly curled hair, however, provided the best protection from the sun’s radiative heat while minimizing the need to sweat in order to stay cool. Scientists suspect that the tight curls allow for air pockets between hair strands. That means that you can have a lot of depth, from the top of the hair to the scalp, without a lot of density. 

Moderately Curled Hair Can Be Cooling

Although tightly curled hair provided the most cooling protection, moderately curled hair offered some benefits as well. The exact level of curl that can pass some threshold of heat tolerance is not entirely clear and more research is necessary. Researchers also need to factor in length and style, as they may come into play. All of the wigs in the study had hair fibers that were eight inches long and loosely worn without any styling. It is very unlikely that differences in hair texture affect survival in modern populations, but some findings still have relevance today. For example, the research highlights the importance of some hair types forming a barrier that reduces the risk of overheating in the sun. 

Earlier Studies Not That Brains Don’t Function As Well In Heat

A small study from 2020 found that too much sun on the head can impact a person’s ability to perform functions that require coordination and thinking. The authors behind the study noted that heat affects thinking because it undermines the way the nervous system works. Athletes with tight curls who flatten or straight their hair may want to consider these results. Styling the hair in those ways may actually decrease their ability to stay cool in the heat. The reason for that is because the sun’s rays can more easily penetrate the scalp.

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The days are warmer and people are going to be soaking up the sun this Memorial Day Weekend. We want you to have as much fun as possible this holiday weekend, and throughout the summer, but we also want you to protect your skin. Since May 27th is National Sunscreen Day, how are you going to protect yourself from getting sunburned? You may want to think twice before lathering yourself with sunscreen.

Last year, Hawaii passed a bill banning the sale of sunscreens that contain chemicals that harm coral reefs. This legislation essentially prohibits the sale of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, both of which contribute to coral bleaching. An estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen are deposited in oceans every year, with the greatest damage to reefs in the Caribbean and Hawaii.

Hawaii’s reefs have been worsening over the past 20 years, which is why so many people have come together to support the passing of this bill. There are already some sunscreen companies that are making mineral sunscreens with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These minerals must be non-nano in order to be reef-safe. Anything under 100 nanometers can be ingested by coral. The new rule will go into effect on January 1^st, 2021.

What Should You Use To Protect Your Skin?

Sunscreen either protects your skin with a mineral barrier or a chemical barrier. Mineral sunscreens essentially create a physical barrier to protect your skin from the sun. Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, usually contain oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate. With all these chemicals, you might be wondering if any get absorbed by your skin and enter other tissues in the body.

New research suggests that these chemicals disrupt normal endocrine and thyroid function, and they may even interfere with other hormone processes in the body. Oxybenzone, the most commonly used chemical in sunscreen, was found in roughly 96% of the population. This chemical can reduce sperm count in men and contribute to endometriosis in women.

Get your vitamin D and go out in the sun, but make sure to do so responsibly. If you don’t want to wear a hat or cover up a little, use natural sunscreen alternatives from TropicSport, Alba, or Raw Elements. These sunscreen companies make healthy, reef-safe products.

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It is almost summertime and that means that people are about to have some fun in the sun. We encourage being outside, but we also encourage you to take care of your skin. Sunburns and summer go together like two peas in a pod. Don’t let a sunburn get you down; rather, accelerate the healing process with the natural sunburn relief gel in this post.

Sometimes the sun can take its toll on the body, despite preventative measures. After getting burned, the skin becomes hot, itchy, and quite sensitive. While many people reach for creams, gels, or lotions that contain aloe vera, we prefer going to straight to the source for the maximum benefits.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has long since been used to help remedy a variety of skin conditions. Primarily used for topical application, aloe vera works to reduce sunburn symptoms and promote healthier skin. The gel from the aloe plant is safe to apply to the skin, provided the person is not allergic to the plant. Homemade preparations can be made from 100% pure aloe gel, which is used in the recipe below.

Essential Oils

This recipe utilizes lavender and peppermint essential oils. Lavender essential oil is commonly used to aid the healing process of bug bites, stretch marks, itching, and more. When it comes to sunburns, lavender helps the skin heal faster than aloe vera does. Peppermint essential oil helps to cool the skin down, which stops the burning sensation.

Together, the aloe vera, lavender essential oil, and peppermint essential oil help to soothe the skin, moisturize, reduce the likelihood of peeling, and offer an instant cooling effect. If you use this after sun gel, let us know how you like it.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons pure aloe vera gel
• 15 drops lavender essential oil
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

• Put 3 tablespoons of pure aloe vera gel in a small glas jar.
• Add the lavender essential oil to the jar, followed by the peppermint essential oil.
• Stir the mixture until the oils are mixed in with the aloe. It should look a little cloudy.
• Seal the lid and store in the refrigerator for an extra cooling effect. Apply to the sunburn every few hours, or whenever you experience pain.

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