Natural Ways to Protect Skin from Sun Damage

We finally had an 80 degree day over here, so I think it’s safe to assume we can venture outdoors here in Connecticut! Kidding, we have been getting outside more and more this spring, digging the gardens and playing with new toys, visiting local parks.

Ditching the coats, gloves, and scarves means we have to load up on other gear – namely: Sun Protection!

I have to admit – I despise, absolutely loathe the process and product of sunscreen. It’s inconvenient, expensive, and kids hate it! Besides which, most mainstream sunscreens are loaded with yucky stuff like parabens, nano particles and more.

This post is brought to you by UVSkinz.

So I started researching natural ways to protect skin from sun damage

Turns out there are a lot of options to help your skin out this summer:

1. Eat foods high in these important nutrients: beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, Vitamin C, Flavinoids. That’s not an extensive list, but just to get you started. Why not boost your sun protection from the inside, out! These foods have been show to help your body naturally protect skin.

2. Don’t forget the sensitive areas – there are some parts of the body you’re not going to be able to cover, so don’t forget to apply sunscreen here: ears, hairline, lips, nose, hands, feet, under chin (because it catches reflected sun rays!). For exposed skin, use a natural screen – oils like sesame, coconut, and olive oil provide a physical barrier against sun rays.

3. Don’t bathe. Are you thinking yuck!? Well…hear me out. Our natural body oil (sebum) provides a slight amount of SPF, so just avoid bathing RIGHT before heading outside for an extended amount of time. And, when you come back inside, avoid bathing for an hour so your body can process the Vitamin D from the sun. (Then, by all means, bathe!).

4. Take more Vitamin D – from everything I read, most people are severely deficient in Vitamin D. So be sure Vitamin D is part of your supplement regimen!

And the BIGGEST ways to protect skin from sun damage is….

5. Cover Up! I can’t stress this enough. You won’t get sun damage if the sun never reaches your skin! This is obvious, but I understand it’s hot out – and nobody knows better than me how little boys love to run around with their shirts off (my boys call themselves “monkeys” when they do this!). Still… as much as possible, limit exposure to the skin by investing in UV protective sun wear.

UV protective sunwear is the best way to protect most of your body from sun damage!

You know my favorite brand has long been UVSkinz! Their UV protective sun wear is high quality – my youngest is wearing hand me downs that are in great condition! Plus their prints are adorable. I love the matching shorts and long-sleeve tees in their kids’ UV protective swimwear line.

Being in New England the water is pretty cold here just about… always!? So even though it’s hot outside, it’s nice to have a full shirt on when you get into the water. The fabric dries quickly though so you won’t have soaked kids when you’re ready to load them back into the car.

And don’t forget – the sun doesn’t just live at the beach. If you’re hiking, biking, enjoying some resort time or on a cruise ship… the sun is there and its rays are just as damaging. UVSkinz has got you covered with UV protective casual wear for the whole family! They’ve got a great spring line with fun stripes going on right now! So if you are not at the beach, you can still get great UV protection via your clothing. You gotta wear clothes anyway, right? So might as well make it work for you by protecting your skin.

Get a FREE Baby Sun Shirt in May!

Here’s a bonus for you! Because May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, every order in May includes an additional FREE baby sun shirt – size 12-24 months! Whether you use it for your own kids or pass it on to friends, it’s a great way UVSkinz is giving back to help prevent sun damage for little ones.

For more details about UVSkinz, please see my other blog posts – I’m a huge fan, love the product, their message, and their vision, so please do check them out!

This post was brought to you by UVSkinz, and I was provided samples to facilitate this message. All opinions are my own. This site and this post are not providing medical advice, but merely entertainment and educational information. Please consult a medical professional for any health care needs.

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