Sunday 29 December 2013

Chemical-free Sunblock


Sunflower in Sunshine
So how come our rates of skin cancer are souring through the roof, despite the fact that we all take "precaution" against sunburn and liberally slap sunblock onto our bodies, head to toe??  Might it be that most sunblocks are chokka-full of chemicals??  Aye.  It's a no-brainer!  You wouldn't swallow a glass of chemicals, now would you?  So how come you would slap on a ton of nasty chemicals all over your skin?  Did you know that the skin is so absorbent, it will "swallow" anything that you put on it??  Hullo, people, wake up!!  I can't bear to see parents smearing "Cancer Society-approved" chemical sunblock all over their babies and children.  A childhood of that and you have set them up for exactly what you plan to avoid - skin cancer!  There are alternatives, but they are not found on the supermarket shelf!  And they are at least twice the price.  But then, what's the cost of skin cancer??

Tips to reduce your chances of developing skin cancer:
  1. Exercise a little common sense.  If burn time is around 7-10 minutes, cover up with a thin layer of cotton clothing or seek out some shade after this period.
  2. By all means, do wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from sunburn.   By all means, do wear a hat to protect your face. If you must apply sunblock, find one on the market with the least amount of chemicals (preferable none), or, better yet, make your own.  Recipe to follow.
  3. Young children are more prone to sunburn.  Keep them protected and safe.  
  4. Do not follow mainstream sun protection advice without doing your own research.  Knowledge is sometimes a precious jewel you have to dig around and work for.  For starters, read Learn why the myth of cancer can hurt your health.
  5. Eat healthy, unadulterated foods.  Wholesome, organic, raw and fresh.

Recent 5kg harvest of healthy garden produce
I have developed my own sunblock which I make every summer.  It is not scientifically proven in a laboratory to reduce sunburn, but it sure seems to work, especially for my family who go surfing and boogy boarding in the waves for hours on end.  The main "block" ingredient is zinc oxide, which can be bought at a pharmacy.  I believe that the naturally occurring mineral is zincite while much of the zinc oxide as we know it, is a synthetically produced inorganic mineral compound.  However, it is safe to use topically and is even used to treat diaper rashes.  My beeswax is bought at Mossops in Tauranga. 
Home-made GreeNZ Star Sunblock
Organic Chemical-Free Sunblock
4 Tbspn zinc oxide
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 Tbspn beeswax
1/2 cup olive oil 
essential oil - 10-12 drops (I used Indian Basil and Cedarwood)
Optional extras:
2 tspn olive leaf 
6 drops rescue remedy
2 tspn tumeric

Melt beeswax on low heat, pour in oil while whisking, then add other ingredients while still whisking.  Pour into wide-mouthed jars that are oven-heated to resist cracking.

I go with my gut feeling when making anything in the kitchen.  If it feels right, I do it.  So this time round, I took a mental note of what and how much I was adding, so I could put it on my post.  It usually depends on my mood as to what I add, and how much!  My next batch may be completely different! This batch is quite neon yellow - but goes on as a nice tan-glow.  My husband and son have already surf-tested it and gave it the thumbs up.  That's all the proof I need.

Sun is Good!

The sunny skyline at Mount Maunganui docks.  Clear skies means Burn, Baby, Burn!  Quick, hand me the chemical-free sunblock!


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