Ah yes, it is time for the pasties to come out in the paleness of the four seasoned blessing that we call home. SPF 99 and the layers upon layers of 'protective' ingredients in your sunscreen like Zinc Oxide or Titanium dioxide do not absorb readily through the skin and clog pores, sitting there like mirco mirrors. How to detour from cake-like sunscreen? Luckily there are natural alternatives that are not your run-of-the-mill herbal potions from the local witch-doctor.
10 Botanics that Protect the Skin from Ultraviolet Radiation
In 2011, a clinical trail looked at an array of botanical ingredients and their effect on the skin when exposed to UVA and UVB rays.
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Green tea: Benefits a mile long, including concentrated antioxidants protecting your cells intracellularly (inside) and extracellularly (outside). Applied to the skin it reduces the chance of sunburn.
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Rich Oils: Including, but not limited to, sesame, coconut, peanut, and olive oil can contribute to blocking UV rays.
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Vitamin E: Antioxidant, just like Green Tea.
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Walnut extract: A good self-tanning sunscreen agent. It reacts with the keratin proteins in the skin to form colored compounds and protect from UV rays.
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Krameira triandra root extract: Significantly reduces damage to skin cells when exposed to UVB radiation.
- Lavender: Inhibits the generation of free radicals that causes much of the damage from UVA/UVB radiation.
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Coenzyme Q10: A powerful antioxidant that counteracts damaging free radical activity caused by the sun.
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Golden serpent fern: This herb could be used to combat the effects of excessive UV exposure.
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Helichrysum flowers: Protect your skin from damaging rays.
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Rosemary: Rich in antioxidants that protect from free radical damage and inflammation.