Natural sun protection

* Start with 1 oz (30mL) of either sesame, coconut or olive oil (use a dark-coloured bottle).
* Add 5 drops of myrrh, 5 drops of carrot-seed and 20 drops of lavender essential oils.
* Shake lightly to blend the ingredients properly.
* Apply to exposed skin areas. Re-apply after 2 hours, especially if swimming.
* Start with 1 oz (30mL) of sesame oil, 1/2 oz (15mL) of coconut oil and 1/2 oz (15mL) of olive oil.
* Add 7 drops of Lavender, 5 drops of Roman chamomile and 15 drops of helichrysum essential oils.
* Shake lightly to blend the ingredients properly.
* Apply to exposed skin areas. Re-apply after 2 hours, especially if swimming.

What to avoid

One thing you need to be wary of are the traditional sunblock and sunscreen creams you buy from the supermarket or pharmacist. Many of these include toxic substances and chemicals and will do you more harm than good. Many products on the market also use nano-sized particles for ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which ensure they will actually penetrate your skin. If you see any of the following ingredients on the labels, AVOID them:

* Para amino benzoic acid (PABA)
* Octyl-dimethyl PABA
* Octyl salicyclate.
* Avobenzone…
* Oxybenzone…
* Cinoxate…
* Padimate O…
* Dioxybenzone…
* Phenylbenzimidazole…
* Homosalate…
* Sulisobenzone…
* Menthyl anthranilate…
* Trolamine salicyclate…
* Octocrylene…
* Benzophenones, especially benzophenone-3
* Cinnamates, namely octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)
* 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC)