Natural Ways To Reduce Your Skin Cancer Risk

 Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, and while it’s not 100% preventable, there are many ways to reduce your risk. The good news is it does not involve chemical sunscreen.

 May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and I just learned the shocking truth about skin cancer or melanoma. Did you know that there are over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year? Did you know that Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer?

 Facts like these make me want to stay inside and never let the sun touch my skin again. Then I realize that I enjoy being outside, so I needed to brush up on my skincare cancer prevention tips. The warmer weather is here and more skin is showing, so many people start thinking about buying sunscreen. While sunscreen is the best option for protecting your skin from harmful sun rays, there are many more things that you can do to keep your skin protected from the sun. 

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The best tips to reduce your skin cancer risk

1. Wear sunscreen ~ Sunscreen will protect you from harmful ultraviolet rays. So never leave home without applying sunscreen. Reach for a reef-safe mineral sunscreen and apply it 15 minutes before you head outside. Use at least an SPF 30 sunscreen and be sure to reapply every hour. 

Tip ~ Check the expiration on your sunscreen. Sunscreen usually is only good for 12 - 18 months. So make sure that your sunscreen is current. 

Ultraviolet rays, both UVA and UVB, are also responsible for premature aging, dark spots, uneven skin tone, and sunburns. So put on that sunscreen! 

2. Limit sun exposure ~ The sun is most harmful between the hours of 11 a.m.- 4 p.m, so if you can schedule your outdoor time in the morning or late afternoon. This is a great reason why morning exercise is best.

3. Wear protective clothing ~ Grab a floppy sun hat, sunglasses, and UPF clothing. Then seek out shade. Umbrellas, trees, and awnings provide sun protection on sunny days. 

4. Make sunscreen part of your morning routine ~ Set your sunscreen bottle next to your toothbrush or by the front door. That way you will remember to apply sunscreen to your skin. Make sunscreen a habit! 

5. Set a good example for your children ~ Teach your children sunscreen habits by setting the example. Wrinkled sun-damaged skin is from the sunburns from years ago. Sunburn prevention now means healthier skin when you’re older.

6. Choose a reef-safe mineral sunscreen ~ No longer do you have to worry about applying chemicals to your skin when it comes to protection from the sun. Mineral sunscreens create an effective shield against harmful UVA/UVB rays. Mineral sunscreens are safe on your skin and safe for the planet. When you use a safe mineral sunscreen, you don't have to worry about toxic chemicals entering your bloodstream. Keep reading to discover a plant-based mineral sunscreen that is made with clean organic ingredients.

7. Examine your skin regularly ~ Have your doctor check your skin during all other health exams, or at least once a year. or visit one of Melanoma Know More’s free monthly skin cancer screening clinics.

Safe sunscreen for the whole family

 Olita makes sunscreen products that are safe for your skin and safe for the planet. All of Olita's suncare products are made with all-natural, organic ingredients. Olita has skincare products for sun protection for the whole family. From organic baby mineral sunscreen to tinted mineral sunscreen all the way to after sun care products, Olita has your skin covered from head to toe.

 My favorite Olita sun care products are Olita Tinted SPF 30 mineral sunscreen and Cool Coconut AfterSun Hydrating Body Serum. I love that Olita Tinted gives my skin a bronzing effect instead of a pasty white look. So I can head to the pool without looking like a ghost. This tinted sunscreen is also fragrance-free so it does not make my asthma flare up like the chemical sunscreens. 

 The other day the package delivery man had the chemical sunscreen on his hands which then transferred to my package. I had to quickly open up my package and toss the box into the outside recycle bin. So if you use traditional sunscreens made with chemical sunscreens, make a switch to a mineral-based sunscreen to protect your lungs.

 The Cool Coconut AfterSun has a great scent of coconuts. This serum soothes and relieves sunburned skin. I love the immediate cooling effect that it gives my skin and it is not sticky. I like using the AfterSun even on days that I don't go out in the sun. This serum leaves my skin soft and smooth.

 Olita also sells other natural sun protection for the lips and a wonderful smelling kid sand remover. From bundles to best sellers, Olita has you and your family covered for a day at the beach or a day in the backyard. I love their organic mineral sunscreen and I am sure you will too. 

Five Good Reasons To Wear SunScreen In The Winter

Do you really need to wear sunscreen in the winter?

I received samples of MyChelle to facilitate this post

   Winter is not my favorite time of the year as it is cold outside. Sometimes there is even snow where I live and that makes winter even more miserable. I am the person who complains almost daily, "who ordered this weather?" and "when will spring be here?" Yes, I hate cold weather. I am glad that we have short winters here, 3-4 months long, and that we have sunshine most days. I don't know about you but I am in a better mood when it is sunny out and I seem to get more done on those days.

 My town just had one of the worst snowstorms here the other day.  I know by the above picture, you are thinking, "that is not much snow" but this storm shuts the town. You see it was not really the snow that shut down roads but rather the lack of equipment to keep the roads non-icy. We rarely get snow and if we do it melts quickly so there is no need for snowplows here. The snow from this storm melted after two days and we finally got our typical temperature of 45 degrees. The sun was out in full force. I just had to get out for a walk and I gladly applied my sunscreen. I had not been outside during the day for over a week so I was excited about a walk. I was also excited to try a new mineral-based sunscreen. 

I love sunny days!

   Most people know that sunscreen is needed in the summer but it is just important in the winter as the sun is still out. The good part of winter is you may need to only apply sunscreen to your face as the rest of your body is protected from your thick clothes. The sun may feel good on a cold winter day but it can still harm your skin.

Five Good Reasons To Wear Sunscreen In The Winter

1. Snow nearly doubles your exposure to UV rays.

Just like water reflects the sun so does the snow. So if you have snow on the ground then make sure to slather on the sunscreen before heading out to play and don't forget the sunglasses. I have mostly rock on the ground near me but I can feel the sun reflecting off of other things when I am out for a walk. I really like that the MyChelle Sun Protection blends nicely into my skin and does not leave a white pasty residue on my skin. This is the only sunscreen that I have tried that does not feel thick on my face. I have used other mineral-based sunscreens and I can't wait to remove it as I feel it on my skin.

MyChelle Sun Protection blends nicely into my skin & does not leave a white pasty residue.

                              2. Higher elevations mean a thinner atmosphere
  I live in a mountain state so my town is 5312 feet above sea level so that means the sun rays are more damaging here. So not only am I closer to the sun, but it also means the rays can get through the atmosphere easier. The plus side of that we have very few days that the sun is not shining. So sun protection is always on my mind. I make sunscreen a part of my daily routine and I love it when I find a sun shield product that has a tint in it so I can use it instead of foundation.

                      3. The Earth is closest to the sun in the middle of the winter.
  As the seasons change so does the tilt of the earth. That means we are closest to the sun about two weeks after the first day of winter and the furthest from the sun about two weeks after the first day of summer. So being that I live in a high elevation, I am even way closer to the sun in the winter so I better be good about applying my MyChelle Sun Shield Broad Spectrum mineral-based sunscreen.



                  4. Ozone, the Earth’s “sunscreen,” is the thinnest during the winter.
 Think of the ozone like the Earth's sunscreen. It can filter out the harmful UV rays but in the winter the ozone levels are at its lowest so we have to protect our skin just like we do in the summer. We get deceived thinking that cold weather means we don't need to protect our skin from the sun. Now is a good time to try a non-toxic sunscreen that is reef safe so by the time beach season comes, you made sunscreen a part of your daily routine.

                                        5. UVA rays can go through glass.
  This one shocked me but it makes perfect sense that the UVA rays can go through glass. I look at the back of my curtains and I can see how the sun has faded them. Glass and clouds can block the UVB rays but 50-60% of UVA rays can go through windows. So if you are driving during the day or soaking in the sun inside by the window like me then you need to protect your skin.

  So I am going to keep my sunscreen right near my toothbrush so I make sure to apply it to my face every day. The Sun Shield Coconut has a pleasant scent and feels light on my face so it is just like applying my moisturizer. I even forget that I am wearing any sunscreen on my face. On days that I am going somewhere that requires me to wear makeup then I will apply my tinted Sun Shield liquid instead of foundation. The nude shade is perfect for my light winter skin. In the summer I just add a bronzer to my face when my skin is darker. So before you head outside slather on the sunscreen and bundle up, don't let the cold weather spoil your fun.

What is the weather like near you?