Natural sunscreens: how can you protect your skin from the sun?

Summer is approaching and we are constantly exposed to the sun’s rays on our skin, therefore, it is necessary and advisable to apply natural sun protection in order to avoid ultraviolet radiation, and the consequences it entails in the short term such as sunburn and spots, or in the long term, more serious diseases such as skin cancer. How can we protect ourselves from the sun thanks to natural sunscreens?

What are natural sunscreens and how do they work?

The arrival of good weather means more frequent exposure to the sun, so it is very important to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays (UVB) with sunscreens and sun protection factors (SPF). How do you protect your skin from the sun with chemical-free, 100% natural sunscreens?

Natural sunscreens, unlike chemical-based protection, contain natural ingredients, also known as mineral or physical sunscreens, usually contain zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as their main ingredients, or a combination of the two, which block and reflect the sun’s harmful rays away from the skin.

Some of them include other ingredients to further protect the skin from the sun such as vitamin C, vitamin E or green tea polyphenols. And many of the natural organic sunscreen products are also free of some potentially harmful chemicals such as parabens and phthalates.

As a study published in ScientDirect and carried out by dermatologists at the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba, who analysed the effects of solar radiation on humans, explained that immunosuppression, photoaging and photocarcinogenesis, apart from sunburn, are just some of the most significant adverse effects of solar radiation on humans, Therefore, in addition to resorting to shaded areas, reducing the time and hours of highest solar intensity and the use of physical protection, such as T-shirts, sunglasses and hats, are some of the strategies that can be tackled to avoid sun damage, in addition to sunscreens, which should be incorporated into the daily routine.

However, we will focus on the benefits of using natural sunscreens, as they have the same protective effects as chemical sunscreens, except that they do not harm or pollute the environment, among other advantages. 

How to choose the sunscreens best suited to your skin?

The skin is the largest organ of our body, which protects us from external bacteria, chemicals, high or low temperatures and the sun, so the use of natural sunscreens is essential if we want to keep our skin healthy and well cared for, as well as moisturised. 

On the one hand, if we expose ourselves to the sun for too long, we run the risk of getting burned, and the severity of UVB burns depends not only on the time and intensity of exposure, but also on the intensity of the sun (UV), skin colour, altitude levels or ozone depletion, factors that also affect the severity of a burn and the time it takes to heal. 

Normally, as reported in a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) just two years ago, sunburn is much more likely to occur in people with fair or pale skin, but this does not mean that darker and even mulatto or black skin does not get sunburnt. 

The report explains how black skin, compared to white skin, is generally understood to be more resistant to the consequences of sun exposure due to its epidermal melanin content. However, despite not being equally affected by the sun, they show that black skin is not completely impervious to sunlight and, likewise, can heat up, burn and peel when exposed to unprotected sunlight, as well as cause manifestations of hyperpigmentation and premature photoageing.

Sunscreens with silicium for a skin in top form

While it is true that the effects of sunlight on the body are good and necessary as it greatly improves our mood and helps to strengthen muscles and bones, as well as improving the immune system, in the end it is best to have a short exposure each day to receive these benefits.

This is why the use of natural sunscreens is so important in the event that exposure is much longer than normal. In other research published in 2020 in the Journal of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (JADV), the potential of oral and systemic photoprotection as a great alternative to natural sunscreen is explained. The report hints that nutritional supplements such as green tea extract, rosemary, turmeric or proanthocyanidins contained in grape seeds may contain one or more active ingredients that promote skin photoprotection through different mechanisms and thus complement topical sunscreens.

Therefore, to reinforce the protection of the skin through natural hydration, apart from creams and gels that care for the environment, protect, hydrate and care for the skin from UVB rays, the G7 Beauty capsules are a food supplement based on organic silica, enriched with vitamin E and selenium, an exclusive formula that protects and helps to maintain the beauty of the skin among other benefits.