The best healing and wellness support system we have is Nature. Yes, Mother Nature!
Here is the latest edition of 1 thing I’m doing, 2 things I’ve learnt and 3 things to explore lovingly created so you can live a happier, healthier and longer life. Much love, Sandy xx
1 Thing I’m Doing
Rethinking Sunscreen for a Healthier Relationship with the Sun
For years, we’ve been told to slather on sunscreen daily, rain, hail or shine, as if it were a magical shield against all harm. Promoted by governments, media and “well-intentioned” organisations alike, the message has been crystal clear.
The sun is something to be feared and one should dare not brave into thy light unprotected for thout shalt be scorched by the evil sun.
Like everything of late, I’ve been questioning this message too. Why and where did it come from? And is the avoidance of the sun in my and my family’s best interest?
Based on many, many, many hours of research, I’ve now revisited my relationship with the sun, reconsidered my use of natural sunscreens and have popped below the five reasons why I don’t believe daily reliance on sunscreen is the best idea:
Sunscreen Blocks Nature’s Full Spectrum of Light Symphony
Sunscreens are designed to block UVA and UVB rays specifically. This leaves the other wavelengths like blue and infrared light to penetrate your skin in isolation. This fragmented exposure disrupts the balance of nature and what our body relies on.
We don’t yet fully understand the consequences of receiving certain wavelengths without their natural counterparts. It’s a little like trying to enjoy a symphony when half the orchestra is missing—it just doesn’t work as it should.
Confusing Signals to the Body
Your eyes and skin work together in harmony to interpret light signals. This information sets your internal body clock and regulates every system in your body. From digestion to metabolism, from hormone regulation to energy, from sleep and more. Sunscreen can interfere with this natural communication system. While your skin is shielded from UVA and UVB (which generates vitamin D) sending one message to your brain, your eyes are still perceiving sunlight, sending a totally different message. This creates a mismatch and incongruence that impacts your body’s natural rhythms.
Detachment from Our Warning System
Our skin has an in-built alarm system: when it starts to turn pink, this is your cue to step out of the sun and seek shade. And just like animals seek shade in the heat of the day when they get too hot, we too should be in tune with our internal messages and do a similar thing.
Sunscreens suppress this warning system allowing us to be in the sun for much longer than our body naturally would.
Most people go from airconditioned offices and homes, to cool cars, to spending hours in the sun and surf. This potentially harmful modern behaviour can lead to overexposure and damage, as it lacks the proper preparation of building up a natural tolerance to the sun.
Barrier to the Sun’s Health Benefits
The sun offers us much more than a tan or a dose of vitamin D. Infrared light in the early morning is healing for our skin and supports mitochondrial health. UVA triggers the release of nitric oxide, promoting blood flow and boosting mood. The list of sun’s benefits it very long . Daily sunscreen throughout the day blocks these health-enhancing wavelengths, robbing us of their full benefits.
A False Sense of Security
Finally, sunscreen can lull us into a false sense of safety, leading to behaviors like staying out in the sun too long or neglecting shade. The best “sunscreen” is shade itself, along with wearing protective clothing when necessary. These simple strategies respect the sun’s power without over-reliance on chemicals.
Relying on sunscreen for protection is not the best strategy. By making shade your first line of defense and embracing the sun in a mindful way, you can build a healthier, more balanced relationship with nature’s ultimate life source. Remember, our goal shouldn’t be to avoid the sun but rather, to learn how to use it wisely. You can learn more about building a “solar callus“, what it is, the health benefits and more here.
✔️Action Item: This week, spend time in the sun during the early morning and late afternoon without sunscreen. Feel the warmth on your skin, the light in your eyes, and notice how your body responds. It’s time to reimagine how you interact with the sun—not as something to fear but as something to respect and cherish. 🌞
2 Things I’ve Learnt
Warning! Homosalate Use In Australian Sunscreens
Conventional sunscreens are sold and marketed under the banner of “protecting” us. But did you know that all the conventional sunscreens in Australia (or at least the brands I checked including Cancer Council, Banana Boat, Neutrogena, and Nivea) contain an ingredient called homosalate that is toxic to our health?
In the European Union, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has found that the ingredient homosalate is not safe when used as a UV-filter in cosmetic products at concentrations of up to 10%.
In their findings they state that “in the SCCS’s opinion, the use of homosalate as a UV filter in cosmetic products is safe for the consumer up to a maximum concentration of 0.5% homosalate in the final product.”
Unfortunately, our TGA, which is remember 96% funded by pharmaceutical industry, doesn’t have the same stringent health standards or level of care.
Australia’s Major Sunscreen Brands Include Homosalate at Unsafe Levels
Australia’s Cancer Council Sunscreens contain 8% and 10% homosalate. Banana Boat 8% and Neutrogena 10%. I’m betting all the other conventional brands would be pretty much the same.
These amounts aren’t just a little over what the EU considers to be safe. They’re not even 100% more. They are literally 1,500% to 2,000% higher in concentration than what the EU deems to be safe.
Looking at the studies that the EU did, homosalate isn’t to be taken lightly.
During some of the test, some of the female rats who received higher concentrations died and some were euthanised.
I wonder what those higher concentrations were?
In today’s world we need to take a more First Principals approach which means questioning everything you thought to be true. Personally, it still boggles my mind how many people use toxic sunscreens, slather it on themselves (and their kids) and then go in the sun and bake for hours.
For anyone that uses conventional sunscreens and who cares about their health, it’s time to remember these important words. When we know better, we do better.
Sunscreen TGA Recalls
It was only a couple of years ago that the TGA issued a recall on several big brand sunscreens due to benzene contamination. This was not the first time sunscreens were recalled and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Benzene is a chemical that can cause cancer in humans. Ironically enough, two of the sunscreens recalled were Cancer Council lines, along with Nivea, Bondi Sands, Baby Bum, and 2XP.
I became aware of this recall as my company (before I sold it in 2023) was promoting natural mineral based sunscreens, which I believed to be a healthier option at the time. It was my responsibility to keep abreast of what was happening in the industry so this was information I needed to know.
But for everyone else, whenever I’ve mentioned this recall, I’ve gotten the usual blank stare. What recall?
So, what happened to all those people that were using these “benzene contaminated” lines?
I bet they happily continued to use their sunscreen oblivious to the fact of the potential harm they were causing themselves, their children and their babies.
So, what’s the alternative? Use natural products.
When you use products that are less chemical intensive and less toxic, you decrease your level of exposure to harm. You minimise your risk and your chance that certain ingredients will cause chaos in your body.
We don’t know how our body will react to the environment we expose it to. Whilst some can live a toxic train wreck of a life and still be rocking on in their 80’s. For others, they don’t have this constitution. We don’t know what our individual limits are, until they are pushed.
So when it comes to my food, water, personal care products, cleaning products, EMF exposure, I always believe less is more.
3 Things to Explore
It’s Just A Little Bit
It’s just a little bit of chlorine in your water.
It’s just a little bit of pesticides in your cereal.
It’s just a little bit of glyphosate in your garden.
It’s just a little bit of fragrance in your perfume.
It’s just a little bit of heavy metals in your food.
It’s just a little bit of parabens in your moisturiser.
It’s just a little bit of PFOAs in your non-stick pans.
It’s just a little bit of aluminium in your deodorant.
It’s just a little bit of homosalate in your sunscreen.
It’s just a little bit of phthalates in your plastic toys.
It’s just a little bit of aspartame in your energy drink.
It’s just a little bit of BPA in your plastic water bottles.
It’s just a little bit of blue light in your lounge at night.
It’s just a little bit of propylene glycol in your skincare.
It’s just a little bit of methanol in your kitchen cleaner.
It’s just a little bit of titanium dioxide in your foundation.
It’s just a little bit of artificial coloring in your toothpaste.
It’s just a little bit of ammonia in your sugar-free sweetener.
It’s just a little bit of sodium lauryl sulfate in your shampoo.
It’s just a little bit of lipid nano-particles in your next….
When does “just a little bit” become too much for your body to handle?
When You’re Feeling Stuck
We all get those days when we feel out of sorts. Life doesn’t seem to be flowing easily and we’re riddled with perhaps self-doubt and a loss of direction. In these times, there are four questions that can help re-centre your energy and get you back on track.
What am I feeling?
What do I really want?
What can I do to get that?
What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?
1. What am I feeling?
This question forces you to name the emotions you’re feeling so that you can understand what you’re actually dealing with. Think “I’m feeling (insert emotion here) because (insert situation, person, reason here).
Often, we don’t even understand our emotion or the situation until we put it down in words.
2. What do I really want?
Answering this question can provide you with clarity into what it is you actually want. From here you can check in with yourself to confirm, are you spending your time working towards your goals? Or are you out of alignment and need to get back on track?
3. What can I do to get that?
Once you’ve been able to identify what it is you really want, the next question you need to ask yourself is have you done everything within your power to make it a reality? The answer to this is generally no. Doing EVERYTHING within our power would be quite the achievement. So try and identify a few things you can start to do.
4. What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?
This question is healing for the soul. If you weren’t afraid, what big, scary, out of the box, audacious, thing would you do?
This is where the seeds for creating amazing things happen in your life start to be planted. You may not be able to achieve all these things but perhaps you will find the courage to start at least one.
2025 is not that far away. As we reflect on the year that has gone, perhaps this is the perfect exercise to bring in the new beginning of the year ahead.
Where You Start
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.”
– Nido Qubein
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