Everything you have been told about sunscreen and sunshine is wrong, and part of a clever marketing campaign designed to benefit large industry

Reprinted from issue #2 of Naturally Good Magazine.
Transdermal Medication
In modern medicine, using a patch to administer drugs has become increasingly common.  This is because of the recognition that any liquid compound which is placed on the skin is absorbed and somewhat directly enters into the blood stream.  Medication by skin absorption bypasses the digestive system making medications more potent.  These patches are often marketed to people who have difficulty taking large or foul tasting pills.
Liquids and tiny particle pastes will sink through the skin into the blood, giving the digestive system no chance of neutralizing their ingredients.  Human skin eventually absorbs all chemical solutions that are rubbed onto it, or lay resting on it.  This realization ought to make people rather uncomfortable when considering all of the chemicals that are placed on their skin throughout their lifetimes.  These compounds include lipsticks, sunscreens, makeup foundations, and various other cosmetic products.
Most women never consider why lipstick must be reapplied every 4 to 6 hours.  Some of it is absorbed by the mouth, tongue, and stomach; but most of it is absorbed straight into the blood through the lips.  Contrary to popular belief, only a small portion of lipstick is removed by napkins and drinking glasses.  Women intake up to 6 pounds of lipstick in their lifetimes.  This is an enormous amount of lipstick, and the studies cannot even guess the total amount of cosmetics consumption for all products.
Especially alarming is the fact that the majority of lipsticks contain lead, a heavy metal neurotoxin.  Lipsticks are the most toxic of all cosmetic products.  Test studies of popular lipsticks have demonstrated that they produce birth defects, and in particular, mental retardation.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen products often contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the two active ingredients.  These are known carcinogens, which will penetrate into a person's bloodstream.  The aluminum that can be found in these products stays in a body forever, as an accumulative, heavy metal toxin.  A trace amount of it might do little harm, but aluminum accumulates in ever increasing amounts; because the human body is generally incapable of flushing-out toxic metals without intervention.  The risks therefore, become endless, since such metals persistently accumulate throughout a lifetime to cause numerous unexplainable dysfunctions, diseases, allergies, and an overall impaired immune system.  (Aluminum can currently be found inside many food products, including raw ingredients such as baking powder and flour.)
In the past couple of years, sunscreens have turned to another active ingredient: oxybenzone.  Oxybenzone is a derivative of benzophenone, which is well known to attack D.N.A. whenever it is exposed to light, which makes it a particularly interesting choice of chemicals to use in sunscreens.  It has been shown to penetrate deep into the skin, where it acts as a photosynthesizer.  This chemical reaction causes an increased production of free radicals under illumination, which makes it a photocarcinogen; especially for those with less than ideal diets.  This effect was studied and documented by The Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering at the University of California.
Directly Into the Blood
Logically, a person should not put anything onto his skin that he would not feel safe eating.  Absorbing chemicals through the skin is actually far more dangerous than ingesting them.  This is because they are not decomposed by the potent acid (hydrochloric acid) in the stomach before reaching the bloodstream.  Stomach acid works to neutralize chemical toxins, at least partially, and then the remaining toxins are passed through the normal filtration of the digestive system.  In comparison, chemicals absorbed through skin do not get diluted, filtered, or neutralized at all by an acid bath.  They enter directly into the bloodstream, bypassing digestive decomposition.  Ironically, none of us would ever consider eating sunscreen; and yet we follow the misguided advice of the medical establishment which purports that we will inevitably suffer from skin cancer without it.  The truth is that sunscreen ingredients such as zinc oxide and oxybenzone directly cause cancer, and this is the predominant reason why people with large amounts of sun exposure statistically have higher rates of skin cancer, for it is their escalated use of sunscreens that is causing the cancers -- not the sunlight.  Sunlight provides an individual with a bountiful supply of all natural Vitamin D (the kind that a body can actually process).  Vitamin D is one of the most effective anticancer vitamins, so most cancers have a relationship with not having enough natural sunlight exposure.
The Lesser of Evils
It is unfortunate that some situations make sunscreens necessary.  Sunscreens which use zinc oxide are always safer than their oxybenzone counterparts.  The DNA-altering capabilities of oxybenzone mean that it could have irreversible and unpredictable life-long effects on you and your grandchildren.  Thus, whenever a sunscreen is a necessity, then always use one that contains zinc oxide but does not contain oxybenzone.
Do Not Rely on the F.D.A. to Protect You
It may be comforting to think of the F.D.A. as an organization which regulates products with our best interests in mind, but this is far from the case.  The F.D.A. works with, and for the chemical companies, which funds them during the approval processes.  These companies offer cooperative high ranking F.D.A. employees lavish job positions where a surprising percentage of F.D.A. administrators can be later found.  These rewards (bribes) are a standard industry practice.
Cosmetics, in particular, get very little governmental oversight.  Cosmetic companies are given broad liberties, and for the most part, may make whatever claims about their products that they want; and they may include practically any ingredient in their products.  Unless they contain an ingredient that has already been banned, cosmetic products do not need approval from the F.D.A. before they are sold, nor do they need to complete any safety testing.  Therefore, the safety testing is usually performed on us.
On top of that, the F.D.A. and F.T.C. actually allow companies to hide information pertaining to the ingredients of their cosmetic products under the guise of "trade secrets".  Reading the ingredients of your makeup may prove to be horrifying, but it is probably far worse than they admit.  They can write whatever they want in the ingredients list, because the list will never be verified -- and they know it.
The Top 10 "Trade Secrets" of Cosmetics

• Mercury
• Lead Acetate
• Formaldehyde
• Toluene
• Petroleum Distillates
• Ethylacrylate
• Coal Tar
• Dibutyl Phthalate
• Potassium Dichromate
• 2Bromo2Nitropropane1,3Diol

They Poison You and Blame the Sun
They blame the sun which is the mechanism for our bodies’ natural production of vitamin D (D3), which is one of the most powerful anticancer nutrients.  Naturally produced vitamin D3 (from sunlight) is known to suppress 70% of cancers, and cancers are just the tip of the iceberg for the benefits of life-giving sunlight.
Their business is reliant upon keeping us ignorant of this, and afraid of the sun.  If the general public ever realized just how much this industry endangered and defrauded them, then the liability for them would be limitless.  The aftermath would make the tobacco lawsuits look small-time in comparison.  Unfortunately, the business of these corporations is backed by the same medical establishment that once recommended the use of cigarettes for health benefits.  Sunlight is bad for business.
Life Giving Sunlight

"And God said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth' ...and God saw that it was good."

-- The Book of Genesis

Vitamin D3 is known as 'the sunshine vitamin', and it is medically referred to as cholecalciferol.  It is one of the most important vitamins necessary for warding off diseases and illnesses.  Unlike prescription drugs and supplements, vitamin D3 is available for free.  Human skin produces ample amounts of it when exposed to sunlight.  Vitamin D3 is produced by our skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.  The body converts excess cholesterol in the skin to an inactive form (Vitamin D2) that is subsequently converted into the active form (Vitamin D3) by the liver and kidneys.  These chemical reactions remove excess cholesterol, greatly benefit the liver, and of course, give us Vitamin D3.  It is practically impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D3 from diet without the aid of sunlight, and some people cannot absorb the synthetic type at all.  Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in the intestines.  Without sufficient vitamin D, a body cannot absorb calcium; rendering calcium supplements useless.
Current research indicates that vitamin D3 (sunlight) deficiency plays a role in causing seventeen types of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, "autoimmune" diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, and periodontal disease.  Sunlight has been shown to increase our sense of well being and to improve sleep, and it is the only cure for certain depressive disorders, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Natural ultraviolet light coming into our eyes stimulates the pineal gland, which helps to regulate hormone levels.  Since vitamin D3 from sunlight is essential for the proper handling of calcium in the body, it is critical for the prevention of rickets and adult osteomalacia.
The ultraviolet rays are antiseptic and are capable of killing bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeasts, molds, and mites in air and water, and on surfaces.  Sunbathing is a useful treatment for many skin diseases, such as diaper rash, athlete’s foot fungus, psoriasis, acne, boils, or impetigo. The warming infrared rays of the sun, or heat from various sources, is useful in the treatment of neuralgia, neuritis, arthritis, sinusitis, and research also had indicated that sunlight empirically increases pain tolerance somehow. The infrared rays also helps to bring healthful, natural body oils to the surface of the skin, keeping the skin beautiful, smooth, and protected.
Remember Common Sense and Moderation
No article about sun exposure would be complete without mentioning the need for using common sense, and exposing oneself to it in moderation.  As with all other things, sunlight in the extreme can be harmful.  We hope not to insult our readers' intelligence with this polite reminder that excessive sun exposure can be detrimental to them.  The benefits of sunlight do not actually require tanning, because the human body will produce enormous amounts of vitamin D3 before it begins the tanning process.  In fact, the human body will generate all of the vitamin D3 that it can handle for a period of days in only 10 minutes of direct sunlight exposure.  A little bit of it goes a very long way, and vitamin D3 produced from sun exposure is literally thousands of times more potent than vitamin D (D2) supplements.  Sunburns are, of course, always to be avoided.
Looking Naturally Good
There are alternatives to the cosmetic chemical madness, with products using natural ingredients.  As an alternative to facials, many people choose to use coconut butter.  It is also reported to make a great alternative to shaving cream.  Apple cider vinegar is commonly used for the skin, and it is a remarkable conditioner for the hair.  Vinegar helps replenish the natural acidic oils of the face and hair that the body uses as an anti-fungal and antibiotic defense.  Many people recommend placing aloe vera juice on top of apple cider vinegar, and leaving it on the face for around twenty minutes, as an all natural facial.
As alternative medicine leads the charge, there will be an increasing supply of natural and organic makeup products, some of which are already available in health food stores, and the Internet.  However, our Staff recommends carefully reading the ingredients and doing some research, for these products are often not as natural as they pretend.
Most cosmetic products (both natural and synthetic) are designed to make the user look more healthy, while ignoring the fact that there really is no substitute for being truly healthy.  With a healthy diet, the skin and eyes become more radiant, the lips become a deeper color, and the person feels energized and happy.  Eating a proper, all natural diet, and exercising regularly is the true secret of beauty.  Of course, a little sunlight helps too.