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pam 2y ago

I've been trying to understand a little bit more on UV rays (and sun screen) and the good and bad of sun exposure. Anyone has any good materials to read about this ?

From the little i get, only 3% of sunlight is UV ray, and out of that 95% is UVA, 5% is UVB (UVC is blocked by the ozone)

cons of UVB - Excessive UVB is harmful and can cause skin cancer

pros of UVB - Stimulates Vitamin D3 production, increases seratonin (your happy drug), improves many skin condition and in fact UVB is reproduced as solar radiation (heliotherapy) or artificial UV radiation (phototherapy) to fix skin problems, produces melanin which protects the skin.

all sunscreen blocks UVB, and some blocks both

As for UVA, not too harmful apparently, but too much can cause collagen damage and premature aging. UV rays can also help reduce blood pressure, heart problems and kill bacteria.

This curiosity came abt as I was reading on sunscreens and wondering if there is more harm than good.

There are a lot more articles out there on how bad the sun is compared to the good of it. If you have more info on the good and bad of sun (and sunscreens), would love the input!

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Discussion

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BitcoinSandy 2y ago

You need to stack more 😂

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Cannibal 2y ago

I now avoid and chemical sunscreens and only apply mineral sunscreen. With chemicals sunscreen the body absorbs some of those chemicals which are toxic.

With a mineral (zinc) sunscreen, the mineral sits on top of the skin and is not absorbed by the body. However, I only apply sunscreen if I'm going to be in the sun for an extended amount of time. If I'm only going to be exposed for a relative short of amount of time I don't apply any sunscreen at all.

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pam 2y ago

The other bit to this is the morning, afternoon and evening sun. I'd reckon direct beams and closest distance to the surface in the afternoon periods would likely be the reason for high UV exposure given these are short waves, high energy carriers

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Turtlesallthewaydown⚡️ 2y ago

I am well aware this is not a ‘scientific’ observation however I think it critical to note that I don’t recall people having skin cancer and certainly not dying from it until we started lathering ourselves with harmful chemicals.

All to avoid exposure to the very power source that powers everything on this planet and that we’ve evolved from the very first single cell life form, not just to expect exposure to but also to accept and utilise energy from.

Hmmm if I were to use first principles thinking…

and if I were a conspiracy theorist…

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MrMiaggy 2y ago

Turtles tactfully dropping seeds of reason on fertile inquisitive soil 🤙