Two Easy Ways to Reverse Sunshine Harmful Effects
Have you ever seen a new born with freckles? So far I haven’t. But these days I do know how do freckles or brown spots develop. I wish I knew this when I was younger. I‘ll tell you a story.
Once upon a time there was a young girl in a small mountain city. She loved the sun very much. In fact she loved it so much that she would bake herself hours in the summer sun until her skin would be as black as the soil. With her dark hair and even darker skin one could only see her emerald eyes; that’s how tanned she would become by the end of summer. Her mother used to joke: “you bake in the sun like a lizard come in the shade, surely it can’t be good to tan so much”. You see her mom did not have her easy to tan skin. Her mom would easily get sun-burn unlike her who would get a lovely tan, or so she thought.
My carefree youth spent soaking up the sunshine all summer days has come back to haunt me. A few years back I started noticing more and more of the brown spots on my face; on my arms and legs; everywhere the sun has kissed my skin sort of speaking. Fortunately, these days I know how to use simple remedies to make them disappear or at least lighten them up a notch.
When the unprotected skin is exposed to the sun, some specific rays, termed ultraviolet radiation, interact with a pigment from the skin, called melanin. The end result depends on how much of this pigment, melanin, exists in the outer layers of the skin. In fact this pigment is trying to protect the whole body and the skin against the harmful sun radiation. Some people get tan while others get a sun-burn. Nonetheless both processes are the result of inflammation: a skin damage at the cellular level. In some unfortunate cases it can lead to skin cancer. Unfortunately, in 2018 Australia had the highest rate of skin cancer in the world (Elflein, 2020) leading to 2094 deaths.
As a holistic practitioner I am also interested to know not only how to lighten the brown spots but how to maintain a healthy elasticity of the skin despite natural ageing processes. To do so I will provide in this blog two outstanding remedies I call for when in need for skin rejuvenation. Number one is Green tea, either applied topically or used as a beverage. And the other one is Aloe vera which also can be either applied topically or used in delish summer drinks.
Green Tea
When it comes to beautifying my # 1 go to is the Green tea. Green tea comes from a beautiful plant called Camellia sinensis. Green tea contains some specific substances, termed polyphenols, which act as antioxidants in the body. Specifically it plays a beneficial role in the treatment of skin tumours. According to the most recent studies (Koch et al 2019) consuming green tea regularly helps rejuvenate old skin cells as well as prevents the onset of further growth of skin tumour in the body. Although the protective effects of green tea remedy against ultraviolet light induced inflammation of the skin (read here sun tan, sunburn, brown spots) is not well understood, its protective effects either applied topically or consumed orally are undeniable. Here are just a few reasons why many cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies are supplementing skin care products with green tea extracts:
- Protects the skin against the harmful effects induced by ultraviolet light radiation;
- It improves the strength and elasticity of the skin;
- Inhibits the processes due to aging;
- Reduces skin cellulite;
- Improves skin, nails and hair morphology;
- Produces no skin irritation when applied topically;
- It has great moisturizing effects.
There is one catch that I must divulge: in order to benefit from the above mentioned qualities, one needs to consume large amounts of green tea, above 8 cups a day for as long as the summer goes on. Cup of tea anyone?
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera needs to introduction when it comes to its results in various skin ailments. It is often taken as a health drink or it is applied on the skin. Most commonly it is used in treating wrinkles, and brown spots, age spots or stretch marks. Aloe can be ingested in the form of aloe drinks, or applied topically on the skin as you would as a moisturizer. This is so easy to use of you have access to the plant. Simply rub a little fresh aloe gel on the skin and leave it to soak a little. Some prefer to rinse after it has dried off. As Aloe is very gentle I leave it on as long as it is not too sticky.
It is my hope that you enjoy reading this short blog. Thank you and until next time, stay safe.
This blog is for information only. Do your diligent homework, talk to your doctor if you need specialist advice.
Resources
Elflein, J., (2020). Countries with the Highest Rates of Skin Cancer Worldwide in 2018, Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1032114/countries-with-the-greatest-rates-of-skin-cancer/
Koch, W., Zagórska, J., Marzec, Z., & Kukula-Koch, W. (2019). Applications of Tea (Camellia sinensis) and its Active Constituents in Cosmetics. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(23), 4277. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24234277
