It is estimated that in the United States that more than a million cases of skin cancer are reported each year.  Most of these cancer cases are reported due to the damage caused by the sun’s ultraviolet radiation otherwise known as UVR.
It is estimated that there is a window during a sunny day that a person risks the most exposure to these ultraviolet rays.  The sun usually begins to intensify around 10-11 am, and reaches its peak around 4 pm.  These are the hours to use extra caution.  Maybe seek the shade of an umbrella or just hit the beach at the later part of the day, after all it does get darker much later in the summer months.

Many experts feel that no tanning method is safe.  They say that tanned skin is already an indication that the epidermal DNA has been damaged by the ultraviolet rays.  Just one sunburn increases your risk of developing skin cancer.  If you incur more than five sunburns your risk of developing melanoma doubles through out your life.  Tanning beds are no better than tanning outdoors.  Care must be taken by applying the proper sun-block lotions before venturing outside.  Sun-block lotions range from 10 SPF to 60 SPF.

SPF, otherwise known as Sun Protection Factor, measures the duration of how long the skin being unprotected can be exposed to the sun UVB rays before burning.  A sunscreen formula with an SPF of 30 would prevent a sunburn that is 30 times longer than if no sunscreen was used and the skin was exposed naturally.  Besides having a high SPF number, UVA protecting ingredients must be present for maximum protection.  These include zinc dioxide, avobenzone, and titanium oxide.  Sunscreen should be applied about 30-40 minutes before going outside, and the waterproof formulas that are available work wonders as they do not come off in the pool or the ocean.  Pay close attention to children as they need the highest SPF possible, their skin is extremely sensitive.  They should only be used on children that are at least 6 months of age.

If you do get sunburned, and it may happen since we do go in and out everyday.  You may even try taking Flax seed oil gel caps, and Omega 3 supplements, as these ad vital moisturizer to the skin and will help heal your skin.  Look for spots on the skin from time to time as these can be warning signs to go and see a dermatologist.  Some of the things to watch for are, skin growth’s or beauty marks that have either changed color, changed diameter, increased in thickness, hurt, itch, or bleed.

By taking the steps necessary for proper sun safety, you and your family will enjoy great times out in the sun, with minimal risk to skin cancers.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you probably are already familiar with the aroma of the herb thyme. If you’ve ever attended Thanksgiving dinner, you know the smell. It’s part of a popular culinary herbal trio often used to spice up the turkey, which also includes rosemary and sage. Rarely growing over a foot high and yielding numerous gray-green stems with tiny oval leaves, this little evergreen’s official botanical name is Thymus vulgaris. You may also find it called common thyme, garden thyme, or French thyme. Receiving its name from the Greeks, it originally meant “to fumigate,” while also symbolizing courage and a source of invigoration. Even then, they knew it possessed medicinal qualities beyond its potent yet pleasant aroma. Read the rest of this entry »

Tired of brittle, dry, cracked, ridged, or weak fingernails? There are positive steps you can take to promote better nail health. But first, it’s important to assess what poor nail health might mean. That’s because medical experts say certain nail conditions can tell you a great deal about your general health. Read the rest of this entry »

Guggulsterone has been cultivated for thousands of years in India and surrounding regions. Before being brought to the Western world, it was popularized in Ayurvedic medicine; now it’s a common ingredient in dietary supplements. Guggulsterone is a compound derived from the gummy resin of the gugul plant (Commiphora mukul). Traditionally, it was used as a remedy for ulcers, obesity, arthritis, and even epilepsy. Today, though, its supplemental use is largely confined to controlling weight and cholesterol. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re concerned about vision loss and improving your ocular health, you can improve your chances of keeping your eyes in good condition by eating healthfully and following a supplement regimen. Vision can deteriorate over time, and this may be a result of genetics, environmental toxins, a poor diet, or even side effects of prescription drugs. Some people experience eye problems as a result of sinus infections and seasonal allergies. Taking supplements to support the health of your eyes can be a valuable way to help preserve your vision and ease eye-related conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

There must be something to the fact that elderberry has been used medicinally for centuries. It’s a common ingredient in natural remedies, and the fruit contains vitamins A, B, and C, flavonoids, carotenoids, amino acids, and tannins. It has antibiotic, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, and is most commonly used to ease cold and flu symptoms and shorten patients’ recovery time from while decreasing their respiratory distress. Read the rest of this entry »

Low-fat diets, cutting out the carbs, and increasing “good fats” have long been touted as the path to good health. While cutting fat completely out of your diet isn’t a good idea, there’s still plenty of controversy on which types you should include regularly.Natural oils and fats are important for the immune system and a healthy metabolism, but many have been labeled as “bad fats” and fallen out of the typical American diet. Coconut oil first slid out of public favor in the late 1950s, a time when saturated fats were blamed for high cholesterol and other heart-related problems. Read the rest of this entry »

Alfalfa’s powerful properties can be found in its leaf extracts, and it’s chlorophyll from alfalfa leaves that’s the basis of Nature’s Way Chlorofresh. Internal deodorants make it much easier to manage odors that result from incontinence, diarrhea, indigestion, or smells resulting from a colostomy. Since these odors originate inside the body (the digestive tract, to be exact), standard-issue body fresheners or antiperspirants aren’t likely to mask them. Available in both liquid supplement and gel capsule form, Chlorofresh is a natural, safe, and gentle solution for complete internal refreshment. Read the rest of this entry »