Many of you love being outdoors, but hate wearing sunscreen. Thankfully, these are some alternative ways to protect your Skin from those harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays besides just with sunscreen. There are numerous dangers of sun exposure. The immediate danger of too much sun is sunburn. If you looked at sunburned skin under a strong microscope, you would see that the cells and blood vessels have been damaged, with repeated sun damage, the skin starts to look dry, wrinkled, discolored and leathery. Although the skin appears to be thicker, it actually has been weakened and as result it will bruise more easily. Skin cancer, which is now the most common of all cancers doctors believe that most skin cancers can be avoided by preventing sun damage. For avoiding skin cancers you can take some efforts which is given below:

1). Eat more foods that provide sun protection: –

                Yep, that’s right. The foods we eat can actually help to protect our skin from sun damage. It’s the antioxidants found in these specific foods that help fight the free radicals can lead to wrinkles and premature aging, but more importantly can lead to the formation of cancer cells. The antioxidants found in certain foods can help to protect against free radical formation. Eat more of these 10 antioxidant rich foods for added skin protection: –

                Tomatoes

Contain an antioxidant called Lycopene which can provide protection against UV radiation.

                Watermelon

                                Also contain Lycopene antioxidant protection. I was really excited about this one because I love watermelon! If you prefer guava fruit or apricots, they also contain Lycopene protection!

                Fish

                                Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acid such as salmon mackerel, halibut, and trout have anti-inflammatory compounds that have been shown to reduce free radical damage and even prevent some skin cancer.

                Dark Chocolate

                                Yes!! The antioxidant called flavonoids in dark chocolate can help to protect the skin against sun damage and even prevent sun burns. Chocoholics rejoice!

                Leafy Herbs and Vegetables

                                Fresh herbs like Basil, Parsley, Sage, andRosemary are jam packed with free radical fighting antioxidants. Leafy vegetables like Spinach, Kale, and Chard contain polyphenols and carotenoids which can protect the skin from the sun.

                Green Tea

                                The fact that green teas start as leafy herbs means they are packed with antioxidants called polyphenols that have been shown to stop the progression of cancer by limiting the blood supply to the cancer cells. It has been shown to prevent some types of skin cancer.

                Red and Orange vegetables

                                Colored vegetables such as carrots, squash, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene which has been linked to reduce reactions to sunburns.

                Berries

                                Blackberries, Raspberries, Block-raspberries, Strawberries, and Blueberries all contains cancer-fighting antioxidants called anthocyanins which can slow down the growth of cancerous cells.

                Broccolis

                                Broccolis contain a high level of sulforaphane which boosts the body’s protective mechanisms and flush out cancer-causing chemicals. Sulforaphane can also be found in lower levels in cauliflower and cabbage.

                Almonds

                                Almonds and sunflower seeds contain a lot of vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant that can protect against sun damage – Add them to your salads or eat them as a snack!

2). Wear protective clothing: –

                Sunscreen alone is not enough to protect your skin. A better way to protect yourself against harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays altogether is to cover your skin with protective clothing. At the skin cancer foundation, we like to say that clothing is the first line of defense against the sun.

3). Know when and where you are sage: –

                There are lot of misconceptions about when and where you are at risk for harmful sun exposure. You don’t have to be at the beach under skies to be exposed to those harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

                i). You are still exposed to dangerous UV rays when its overcast or cloudy.

                ii). Just because its cold outside, you are still exposed to the sun.

                iii). If you are around snow and/or water, your exposure may be even higher as the UV rays can

reflect off these surfaces and onto your skin.

There are a few things you can do to reduce your risk of skin damage and cancer: –

a). Make sure you protect your lips by wearing a UVA – protective lip balm.

b). Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your most sensitive body part from sun exposure (your face)

c). Avoid the high UV hours of the day, typically between 10 am and 4 am.

d). Stay in the shade as much as possible. You can still enjoy the outdoors but do it under a covered area.

                In the past 30 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined. 90% of skin cancer cases are associated with exposure to UV radiations from the sun. That means that we can prevent this by protecting ourselves from these UV rays!

                I hope that you will take one or all of these sun protective methods and apply it to your life. It could actually save your life!