Sunblock and SPF
Posted by: Solley on: April 15, 2011
If you look at the list of “active ingredients” on any product boasting sunscreen protection, you’ll notice a list of unfamiliar (and unpronounceable) chemicals. It is however possible to add sunscreen protection to your lotions, creams and balms using natural inorganic minerals that are not absorbed into the skin, are (thought to be) generally safer, and don’t foster any adverse reactions such as allergies. The highest spf values are achieved by combinations of ingredients which may include zinc oxide and / or titanium dioxide but always include other chemical sunscreen agents.
Understanding ultraviolet rays
There are three type of light rays in the ultraviolet spectrum. uva, uvb, and uvc. ultraviolet c is the most dangerous but it cannot penetrate earth’s protective ozone layer. It therefore poses no threat. Because ultraviolet b is stronger (than uva), it has long been considered the sole culprit in causing skin cancer (in persons with a history of sunburn and repeated overexposure). Recent research, however, has also implicated ultraviolet a as a possible cause of skin cancer. In addition to natural light, artificial light from tanning lamps contains uba and uvb. electric arc lamps can also generate ultraviolet light.
The sun protection factor
The spf or sun protection factors used to describe sunscreens are defined according to international standards. They correspond to the relation between the amount of (uvb) radiation that will cause sunburn on unprotected skin and the degree of radiation that will cause sunburn on protected skin. So by using a product with an spf of 6, for example, the skin’s ability to protect itself from sunburn is multiplied by 6. These factors are established under laboratory conditions with a given amount of sunscreen. In real life, the sunscreen should be reapplied frequently. The method (used by l’oréal) to calculate the uva protection factor is based on the amount of immediate pigmentation remaining after two hours of exposure for unprotected skin compared to skin protected by a sunscreen. It is known as the ppd (persistent pigment darkening) or uva factor. It is only uvas which cause this immediate darkening of the skin.
So how much and of what do i use to give my product an spf of 15?
What and how much of it you use is a trial and error process and finally left up to your own personal discerment. in the end, you will have a product that has some sunblocking properties, but – and this could not be stressed enough – unless you’re having the product lab tested and verified to provide a specific degree of sunblock protection, that claim cannot and should not be made.
- 1-1/2 oz beeswax pearls
- 1 oz cocoa butter
- 1-1/2 oz shea butter (natural)
- 2 ozs. avocado oil
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla and orange flavor oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon titanium dioxide white
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E liquid
The chart below was supplied by “ponte vedre shop shoppe“ and attributes a particular sfp value to a percentage of concentration.
| low (spf 2-5) |
moderate (spf 6-11) |
high (spf 12-19) |
ultra high (spf >20) |
|
| titanium dioxide | <4% | 8% | 12% | 20% |
| titanium dioxide, micronized | 2% | 4% | 6% | 10% |
| zinc oxide | 5% | 10% | 15% | 25% |
| zinc oxide, micronized | 3% | 7.5% | 12% | 20% |
Natural spf substances In addition to zinc and titanium, there are some other natural substance that have their own spf properties. Since the “authoritative” source of this information cannot be identify, it is shared purely informative.
zinc oxide — spf: 2 – 45
titanium dioxide — spf: 2 – 45jojoba oil — spf: 4
red raspberry seed oil — spf: 28-50
sesame seed oil — spf: 4
shea butter — spf: 4
There is also green tea (extract), and white camellia oil, which is extracted from the seed of the camellia flower (i.e. tea plant: camellia sinensis). Green tea has been found to counteract the effects of both uvb & uva radiation and protects against skin cancer. Green tea does not absorb uv rays like a sunblock. It works with the skin on a cellular level. It inhibits uvb-induced erythema (redness of the skin caused by increased blood flow to the capillaries). It also blocks the cancer-causing changes to the skin cells caused by sun exposure. It does this by causing abnormal cells to self-terminate thereby preventing the development of abnormal growths. Lastly, it supports melanin production, the skin’s own natural sunburn protection.
Which all-natural oil Ayurveda recommends for safe protection…
…olive oil, being a highly polyunsaturated fat, offers little resistance to the sun…
Why Polyunsaturated Oils Offer Little Sun Resistance
Plant sources (e.g. sesame or sunflower) for polyunsaturated oils come from the north (where there is less sunlight) and offer little resistance to the sun. While saturated oils from the tropics, do.
…coconut oil.
That’s a good guess. And yes, summer being the pitta time of the year, coconut oil is an ideal choice for both your skin and for cooking. It actually makes your skin more vitamin D resistant, since there’s an abundance of sunlight in the summer (or in the tropics).
It was Actually Travis and Sangeet Kaur Who Got It Right…
The sunscreen oil recommended in Ayurveda is from the fruit and seeds of the evergreen neem tree, indigenous to India. Of course, neem oil is recommended for a host of issues. Indians call the Neem tree the “Village Pharmacy” (rough translation) because of its varied uses. Application: You just need a thin layer on exposed skin. As a general recommendation, apply every 60-90 minutes or three times in a four hour period. It really depends on humidity (e.g. the desert versus the ocean), how dark and dry your skin is and how often you keep up with your daily oil massage. Neem oil alkalizes the skin, reducing its acid content while keeping it moist. This means it won’t react to heat as easily. Think of food in a frying pan. How do you stop it from burning and drying out? Oil. Right. You can mix the neem oil with a little ghee or coconut oil if the neem smell is not to your liking. In a future issue I’ll talk to you more about neem and all the other things it can do for you. But for now, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of a safe alternative to sunscreen lotion.
Have in mind!!! — Neem seed oil has also been found to prevent implantation and may even have an abortifacient effect similar to pennyroyal, juniper berries, wild ginger, myrrh and angelica. The effects were seen as many as ten days after fertilization in rats though it was most effective at no more than three days. (Sinha, et al., 1984); (Lal et al., 1985). In a study on rats, neem oil was given orally eight to ten days after implantation of the fetus on the uterine wall. In all cases, by day 15, the embryos were all completely resorbed by the body. The animals regained fertility on the next cycle showing no physical problems. Detailed study of the rats revealed increased levels of gamma interferon in the uterus. The neem oil enhanced the local immune response in the uterus.(Mukherjee, 1996) Post coital use of neem oil as birth control does not appear to work by hormonal changes but produces changes in the organs that make pregnancy no longer viable (Tewari, 1989) (Bardham, 1991).
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