Too Much of a Good Thing?
Few things are as blissful as feeling the warm sun on our face. Sunlight is known to impart numerous benefits, including improved mood, improved sleeping patterns, and increased vitamin D levels that boost our immune system. But exposing the skin to too much sunlight can result in harmful side-effects including skin cancer.
Ten Minutes is All it Takes
If sunlight is both good and bad for our health then how much sunlight is too much? Dr. Harvey Lui, a dermatologist at the BC Cancer Agency recently spoke to The Provincial Health Services Authority in Canada regarding the benefits and dangers of sun exposure.
Dr. Lui stated “Exposing your skin to a small amount of UV light can contribute to the body’s process of vitamin D synthesis, and some research has shown that having adequate levels of vitamin D can help protect against cancer. However, you don’t have to spend hours in the sun to get enough vitamin D.
“Standing or walking outside without a hat and with your arms exposed for about 10 to 15 minutes each day is just about as much time as most people will ever need for their skin to make adequate amounts of vitamin D,” says Dr. Lui, adding that whatever extra vitamin D your skin makes also gets broken down by the sun’s UV rays.”
She went on to say “Sunlight can both make vitamin D and degrade it as well. The only thing that you build up by hanging out in the sun for a long time is DNA damage and your risk of getting skin cancer.”
Depending on one’s sensitivity to the sun even short durations like the one Dr. Lui described here can be too much. Even quick exposure to the sun can result in sunburn and premature skin aging because those with fair skin and light-colored eyes don’t produce adequate amounts of protective melanin and as a result, their skin burns more quickly when exposed to sunlight.
Protection and Moderation are Key
If 10 to 15 minutes of direct sunlight is all it takes to get the health benefits of the sun then what should we do with the rest of the time to make sure we are not being overexposed to the sun’s UV rays?
Ten Sun Safety Tips from Cancer.Net
- Use sunscreen every day, even if it’s cloudy.
- Apply at least one ounce of sunscreen (enough to fill a shot glass) at least 15 to 30 minutes before going outside.
- Use a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
- Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation. Make sure it is water-resistant and has an SPF of 30 or higher.
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours. Reapply every hour if you are swimming or sweating.
- Be extra careful around water and sand. These surfaces reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of getting a sunburn.
- Keep babies younger than 6 months old completely covered and in the shade.
- Limit the amount of time you’re in the sun between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. This is when the sun’s rays are the most intense. Practice the shadow rule: if your shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are at their strongest, and you should find shade.
- If possible, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Dark clothing with tightly woven fabric blocks more sun than white or loosely woven fabrics. For additional protection, look for clothes made with special sun-protective materials.
- Accessorize with a hat that shades your face, neck, and ears and a pair of sunglasses. Sunglasses with lenses that have 99% to 100% UV absorption provide optimal protection for the eyes and the surrounding skin.
RESONANCE 396 is formulated with Gold to Support Healthy Skin
The innermost layer of the epidermis is made up of basal cells. This layer contains two important basal cell types: keratinocytes and melanocytes. The keratinocytes in humans constitute 90% of epidermal skin cells and are a key factor of the skin structure. Meanwhile, the melanocytes produce melanin and give your skin its color. Gold, if it is bioavailable activates the basal cell layer, which means that it creates new skin cells, pushing the old skin cells out.
Gold has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce skin redness and offer protection from free radicals that lead to wrinkles, premature skin aging –––and even sun damage.
The scientists behind the formulation of RESONANCE 396 have taken the skincare science of gold to a whole new level, employing our state-of-the-art Smart Penetrants Technology (SPT) which makes the gold within our product more bioactive with the epidermis, where new skin cells are made. As a result, RESONANCE 396 takes full advantage of the benefits of gold, providing skin with more bioavailable gold than any other product on the market.
RESONANCE 396 is a reparative complex comprised of 17 essential oils, 2 precious minerals (silver and gold), 8 building blocks, 3 vitamins, 5 herbal extracts and 6 cream conditioning agents. Our SPT is a major development in skincare technology, one that makes all 41 key components of our product bioavailable with each topical application. RESONANCE 396 is so impactful in supporting healthy skin because each ingredient is able to work on the cellular level, providing cells with exactly what they need to function healthily.
It doesn’t offer SPF protection, however, which is why we always recommend applying a good sunscreen that offers SPF protection before exposing your skin to sunlight.
If you love the sun like we do at RESONANCE 396 then you’ll agree that it’s important to take precautions to protect the skin from overexposure to the sun, while enjoying the numerous health benefits associated with it. RESONANCE 396 is formulated to help you achieve wellness from within by providing the body with a nutrient-rich skin therapy cream that restores balance and harmony while providing reparative relief to aging and overstressed skin.
