Sunscreen has been used for quite some time in most countries. It is mainly used to protect adults and especially children from the harmful effects of the sun. In most cases, sunscreen usage has gone to the extremes. A lot of people, especially women, use lotions that contain some kind of sun protection. Parents seem to be using a lot of sunscreen lotion on children that go outdoors especially when they go to the park.
During the past summer season, I have taken my 2 year old daughter several times a week to the park. She loves to play there. I do not use any sunscreen lotion on my daughter unless the visit at the park extends to several hours. I try my best to expose my daughter to as much sun as possible. Every time I go to the park with my daughter, I smell the sunscreen lotion on almost every child that passes by me. It is a shame that most parents are educated wrongly and told that the sun is very dangerous to them and their children. They are told that the sun causes cancer and that they should avoid it at all costs. It is surprising that the parents even allow their children to go outdoors.
The sun gives energy to every living thing on our planet. It is a life giving energy that is needed by all including human beings. We need the sun to survive on this world. Without the sun, no living thing can exist for long. The sun’s rays allows our body to produce Vitamin D which is essential for our well being. The health benefits of Vitamin D is huge.
Some of the benefits of Vitamin D include :
- Stops bone loss
- Greatly reduces the risk of all types of Cancer
- Reduces the risk of Heart Attack and Stroke by as much as 60%
- Prevents Rickets
- Protects against Osteoporosis
So, I urge anyone that is reading this to go out and enjoy the outdoors. Try to expose as much skin to the sun’s rays as possible. You should also get your sun exposure during the noon hours between 10am to 2pm. The reason for this is that the UVB rays of the sun help your body produce vitamin D and are most able to reach your skin during those times. At other times, the UVB rays are much weaker while the harmful UVA rays can reach your skin at all times of the day.