Summertime is close to beginning in Michigan! School is almost out, summer vacations are closer, and you can just about smell those lake days. Summer is a wonderful time in the mitten, but it does come with some baggage along the way; sunburn and bug bites happen to be the main ones that we deal with.
The sun is a great healing tool for the body, and we do need it to live, however overexposure can lead to sunburn which isn’t great for our health. So, during this time of year you start to see everyone get out their Neutrogena SPF 50, think first before you start applying this toxic cream on you or your children!
Most sunscreens contain a high amount of toxic chemicals that are very harmful to our health. Such as oxybenzone, a hormone disruptor, and a chemical that can be harmful to our Great Lakes ecosystem. There are plenty of great options when it comes to natural sunscreens, Badger, Beautycounter, and Rainbow Bee.
Here at Thrive Wellness Center we carry Rainbow Bee, a homemade sunscreen that contains all-natural ingredients and goes on without leaving any white residue and smells particularly nice!
Another essential part to absorbing the sun properly is making sure you consume enough essential fatty acids that enables your body to use the sun’s rays so that they don’t just sit on the top of your skin causing a burn! Essential fatty acids can be eaten through foods like avocado, nuts, seeds, eggs, animal fat, and grass-fed butter. These are essential to our diet because our bodies cannot produce these on its own. Sun is great due to the vitamin D production. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and can only be properly absorbed with enough healthy fats consumed in the diet.
Then there are our great friends’ mosquitoes. These little buggers can cause all sorts of irritation, and swollen bites. Some people have a much more severe reaction to bites than others. Bug repellents contain harmful chemicals that absorb right in to the blood stream, like sun screen most of these chemicals disturb your natural hormone levels. For example, a chemical found in most bug sprays is called DEET. DEET is a known chemical in many different bug repellents and can cause an allergic reaction when applied on the skin, it also can interfere with brain function, and can cause fatigue.
Some better options for bug repellent include the brand Badger, and also an easy homemade recipe. This recipe can be added to a glass spray bottle and contains the following; ½ cup witch hazel, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 40 drops of either eucalyptus, lemongrass, citronella, tea tree, rosemary, or a mix of thee above. Then you know exactly what is in the bug repellent! If you do get a bite and it needs some relief lavender essential oil is great for bites and burns. Use it topically by itself or with a carrier oil like coconut oil.
Here at Thrive we carry Young Living Essential Oils which are from a great source and don’t contain any extra additives. Summer is meant to be enjoyed and to make memories! I hope these tips help you and your family soak up every moment of your summer.