Below, we’ll take a closer look at the sun’s ultraviolet rays in the context of what they can do to your infant’s skin. We’ll offer a few suggestions for buying suntan lotion and describe the benefits of staying in the shade. You’ll also learn how to protect your little one’s eyes in the event you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time.

The Danger Of Ultraviolet Rays

You might think that a golden-brown tan is the quintessential sign of good health. It’s actually a clear sign of skin damage caused by ultraviolet rays. Over time, too much exposure will eventually cause premature wrinkling and skin blemishes.

There are three types of ultraviolet rays that span a wide spectrum of light: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA and UVB are the most well-known because they directly impact our health. UVA rays penetrate several layers of skin. UVB rays penetrate the surface, but little else. Both types of UV light can damage your baby’s skin beyond the visible signs of sunburns and mild irritation. Over years of exposure, the cellular damage accrues and can even lead to skin cancer.

Using The Right Suntan Lotion

Most sunscreens and suntan lotions have an SPF rating. The abbreviation stands for “sun protection factor.” The rating reflects the number of minutes of protection offered by the product. A simple rule of thumb – though not entirely accurate – is to multiply the SPF rating by twenty. For example, a person who normally burns after fifteen minutes would be protected for 450 minutes while using an SPF 30 sunscreen.

Few people realize that a product’s SPF rating only indicates protection from UVB rays. It does not reflect the product’s ability to protect your infant’s skin from UVA rays. This is an important distinction because UVA rays can be just as damaging.

Another important note: ultraviolet rays can penetrate cloud covers. If you and your baby are enjoying time together at the park on a cloudy day, you should still apply a high-quality sunscreen to her skin.

Fun In The Sun Versus Safe In The Shade

A lot of parents think the sun is unable to cause damage during short periods of exposure. In reality, UV damage accumulates. Even if you and your baby spend five or ten minutes outside, the ultraviolet rays can still penetrate her skin. Because her skin is still fragile, it is more susceptible to cellular damage than your skin.

This is one of the reasons pediatricians suggest limiting babies’ exposure to the sun whenever possible. Stay in the shade. Otherwise, liberally apply a strong sunscreen to your baby’s skin that offers her protection from UVA and UVB rays.

Safeguarding Your Baby’s Eyes

In the same way ultraviolet rays can damage the skin, they can also cause eye problems. Millions of people suffer from cataracts due to prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV rays. Keep in mind, your baby’s eyes are extremely sensitive. They need protection. Consider buying sunglasses that provide a guard against ultraviolet light. The darkness of the tint matters less than the UV protection.

Don’t underestimate the power of the sun’s rays. Their warmth may feel comforting against the skin, but they penetrate the surface and cause damage. Your baby relies upon you to help ensure she’s protected. If you intend to spend time outside, ask your little one’s pediatrician for sunscreen recommendations.

Typically organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C enzymes and essential minerals such as calcium (63 percent higher), magnesium (118 percent higher), iron (73 percent higher) and chromium, cancer-fighting antioxidants and being 29 percent lower in mercury. Feeding the soil with organic matter instead of ammonia and other synthetic fertilizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce, with higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in organic food, according to the 2005 study, “Elevating Antioxidant levels in food through organic farming and food processing,” Organic Center State of Science Review (1.05)

2. Taste Better and Truer Flavor

Scientists now know what we eaters have known all along – organic food often tastes better. It makes sense that food taste more appetizing when raised in naturally in nature, but researchers at Washington State University just proved this as fact in lab taste trials where the organic fruits were consistently judged as sweeter. It makes sense that chemicals are not going to taste like mother nature provided. Organic produce is often lower in nitrates and higher in antioxidants than conventional food. A number of top chefs choose organic, and every year many are involved in the Soil Association’s Organic Food Awards.

3. High standards 

Organic food comes from trusted sources. All organic farms and food companies are inspected at least once a year. The standards for organic food are laid down in European, US and Canadian law. Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards as well as MSG and other provin toxins. Organic is the only de facto seal of reassurance against these and other modern, lab-produced additions to our food supply, and the only food term with built in inspections and federal regulatory teeth.

4. Build Healthy Soil

Mono-cropping and chemical fertilizer dependency has taken a toll with a loss of top soil estimated at a cost of $40 billion per year in the U.S., according to David Pimental of Cornell University. Add to this an equally disturbing loss of micro nutrients and minerals in fruits and vegetables.

5. Our Food Source Delima

There is growing concern about the high use of antibiotics on farm animals and the possible effects on human health. Soil Association standards prohibit the routine use of antibiotics. Animal welfare is taken very seriously under organic standards. The benefits of the organic approach are acknowledged by animal welfare organizations such as Compassion in World Farming as well as the UK and US government.

6. Kinder to Our Earth

The UK government has said that it is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide – the main global warming gas – and less dangerous wastes.

7. Avoids Pesticides 

Over 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in non-organic food. The UK government has recently found high levels of pesticide residues in baby food, spinach, dried fruit, bread, apples, celery, and chips. Chemicals kill.

8. Promote Biodiversity

Visit an organic farm and you’ll notice see a buzz of animal, bird and insect activity. These organic oases are thriving, diverse habitats. Native plants, birds and hawks return usually after the first season of organic practices; beneficial insects allow for a greater balance, and indigenous animals find these farms a safe haven. Organic farmers bring balance back into farming were all aspects of the farm building for the future crop and soil. Support Organic farms – they feed us and we want them around for a long time. According to Organic Farming Research Foundation, as of 2006 there are approximately 10,000 certified organic producers in the U.S. compared to 2500 to 3,000 tracked in 1994. People are taking charge of their own health.

9. Protect Future Generations

Reduce toxic load on humans and the planet. Before children are even born the toxic risk from pesticides has already begun. Studies show that infants are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals in utero. In fact, our nation is now reaping the results of four generations of exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals, whose safety was deemed on adult tolerance levels, not on children’s. According to the National Academy of Science, “neurologic and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides.” Numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility. Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5 percent of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves 99.5 percent of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to noxious agricultural chemicals.

10. It’s Important – Your Important 

We need to support companies that support us. Organic companies are on the cutting edge of product supply for the aware consumer and if we use our consumer power to support them they are more likely to thrive and add additional products and services to their offering. We do make a difference – every purchase says “yes I want pure products on my plate and in my cosmetic bag”.  It’s important – you’re important.

UVC Radiation

Taking these in reverse order, UVC has the shortest wavelength and although it is potentially very harmful to our skin, it is completely filtered out by the earth’s atmosphere and so does not affect us.

UVB Radiation

UVB radiation is the one that causes the appearance of a tan after sun exposure. It does this by stimulating the formation of the pigment ‘melanin’ in the deeper layers of the skin and activates it’s movement to the outer skin layers. Here it acts as an antioxidant and skin protector – it is in fact part of our natural defence against sun damage.

UVB radiation also causes thickening of the outer layers of the skin, and if exposure is taken to excess is what causes sun-burn. This should be avoided at all costs, particularly by children, as it is thought that sun-burn in early years may lead to an increased risk of skin cancer later in life.

UVA Radiation

UVA radiation is potentially the most damaging form as it penetrates deeper into the skin. In the deep basal layers of the skin UVA can damage the DNA that makes up the blueprint of each cell, and can result in mutated cells that no longer reproduce properly. This in turn may be a primary cause of some skin cancers, although they may take years or even decades to manifest themselves.

UVA also damages structures made from or containing collagen and elastin and this is one of the main causes of wrinkles and premature ageing in skin that is often exposed to sunlight.

General Advice

The general advice given to adults who are going to be exposed to sunlight can be summed up in the now famous Australian adage of ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ – Slip on a Shirt, Slop on a Hat, Slap on some Sun-cream. Clearly, all three of these actions are designed to reduce exposure to sunlight and therefore minimise the risks involved.

Further advice is to avoid exposure to the sun when it as its strongest – between mid-day and three in the afternoon. When you think about it, this is the traditional time when many Mediterranean countries have lunch followed by a Siesta – both taken indoors thereby avoiding the worst effects of the sun.

One of the most visible signs of poor nutrition can immediately been seen in the condition of our skin. So, the question is what DO the vitamins do? How can you tell if you need one or another. Obviously, every body is different and to make a truly informed choice, a visit to your family practitioner or your local nutritionist may be in order. If you just want to get some general information to start, and see where you might be lacking, the following is a list based on the Recommended Daily Amounts (RDA) from the EU guidance that is used for nutrition tables on food products. If you think you may be vitamin deficient in any area, these would be good points to bring up when you do go in for your next checkup.

Now you’re thinking no one in there right mind would do this right. I mean who goes to the store and actually tries to buy a skin care product that will cause their body damage. Actually most people these days do exactly that, unknowingly of course as they aren’t aware of the toxic ingredients in the product of their choice. What people need to start realizing is that not every company that throws the word natural on their product really cares about the ingredients being truly natural. If you do a little research on the ingredients in skin care the information is alarming as you find that many skin care products contain carcinogens and other toxic ingredients. Check out a website called skin deep for more information on what is in your skin care.

Aren’t skin care products supposed to be helping your body not hurting it? Yes, they are but unfortunately that isn’t the case with all of the products available. This is where certified organic skin and body care products come in. When they are certified organic they have to meet strict requirements by the certifying body and are very safe for the consumer. Certified organic skin care products are made up of ingredients you can actually read and understand such as avocado oil and safflower oil not six syllable words that don’t mean a thing to you. This way you actually know what you are feeding your skin rather than just hoping it works because the company that made it claims it will.

When you go to purchase a “natural” product be sure to research the company producing it. Find out what their stand is on ingredients such as silicone derivatives and the like are. See if there focus is on a toxin free line of skin care or just one that smells good etc. There are wonderful certified organic skin care products available so don’t settle for some supposedly natural junk when you can have the best available for your skin.