What Is Don't Fry Day and How to Participate
National Don’t Fry Day
Summer is officially on the way, and with the blue skies, barbecues, and long beach days, comes an increased risk of overexposure from the sun - hence, spreading awareness about sun safety becomes a must - and Don’t Fry Day is a national day dedicated to doing just that. It occurs each year on the Friday before Memorial Day, and offers everyone the chance to learn more about arming themselves and their loved ones with sun safety tips & sunblock practices for protecting their skin.
In This Article:
How to Use The ‘Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap’ Cancer Prevention Motto
How To Know If The Sun Is Creating Vitamin D
Choosing Organic and Natural Sunscreens
Today, I would like to just take a second to help raise awareness for Don't Fry Day. ☀️
Yep… I know it sounds silly but really it’s not.
And no, it’s not about actual frying.
Don't Fry Friday is a very important day for you and your skin. As you may have noticed that it occurs just as the start of summer nears.
Of course during the summer, the sunshine is the most intense.
Yes… the sun is hotter and more intense in the summer, even in my home - the sunshine state of Florida.
The purpose of Don’t Fry Day is to educate all summer lovers seeking the sun after a long winter of the dangers of overexposure to UVA and UVB rays. UV rays come from the sun (and from many tanning booths) and they are the primary cause of skin cancer.
Of course, you’ve likely heard me talk about wonderfully important vitamin D, and about how sunshine brightens your mood - so it’s not ALL bad.
It's JUST overexposure from the sun that damages your skin, and can result in cancer. Check the UV sun index in your area, what time is best to go outside, and how long you should be out in your UV rating of sun exposure. ️
As a general rule, stay out of the sun during midday - this is usually when UV rays are the most intense. ⛱️
This means slip on SPF 30 or higher clothing to cover your skin, slop on the lotion (SPF 30 or higher), slap on a SPF 30 or higher hat, and wrap on the SPF 30 or higher sunglasses, because yes UV rays can damage your eyes, too. 🧴 Get it now?
Now of course, like I said above I highly recommend skin protection (SPF 30 or higher, preferably a natural organic sunscreen), but I do also recommend no sunscreen sometimes! Wait, what? 🤔
Well… one of the most common deficiencies among American adults is a vitamin D deficiency.
You may think that the best way to acquire vitamin D is through vitamin D gummies, drinking milk or eating fish, but it is not.
Yes, these are in fact sources of vitamin D, but they are not as wonderful for you as direct exposure! Yep, the sun is actually the best way to absorb this important vitamin.
Vitamin D is different from most of the other vitamins we usually need. Our bodies actually produce most of the vitamin D we need, instead of supplying your body with most of the vitamin from the food we consume. Our bodies convert sunshine we soak in into chemicals that turn it into the vitamin D.
Fascinating, right?
If we don’t get enough pure outside sunshine, our body will struggle to get enough sunshine to make vitamin D.
So, how much sun do you need?
Most experts recommend getting about 10 to 15 minutes of direct sunlight daily, without wearing sunscreen.
Now if you have fair to medium toned skin 10 to 15 minutes of direct sunlight daily is usually perfect. But if you have darker skin, you will probably need more time in the sun to make enough vitamin D because your skin has more protection against the sun’s effects.
Some experts recommend that darker toned people spend about 40 minutes to one hour in the sun daily if possible. ⏱️
If you live farther from the equator (in the U.S. this would be the mid-states or farther north), then you need more overall time in the sun (closer to one hour a day). If it’s the winter, you need to double the recommended time to allow enough vitamin D production to occur.
Here is a good rule of thumb to know that the sun is creating vitamin D in your skin:
You want to look at your shadow and see that it’s shorter than you are. This tells you that the sun is high enough in the sky and strong enough to convert vitamin D in your skin. For example, you may experience this during the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. but not as much during other times of the day when the sun is lower and therefore less likely to penetrate your skin effectively. ️
However, when it comes to the time when you need sunscreen, I also need you to be careful of what sunscreen you use. Why? 🥵
All sunscreens are not created equally. In fact, a 2018 report from Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that nearly 67 percent of sunscreens didn’t work. That is to say these sunscreens provide inadequate sun protection and/or they contained harmful ingredients.
This is where it gets crazy!
The EWG’s 12th Annual Guide to Sunscreens report results said that about half of the beach and sport sunscreens sold in the U.S. that EWG analyzed would not be allowed on the market in Europe due to inadequate protection against UVA rays.
And… many sunscreens contain toxic ingredients or endocrine disrupting chemicals that in many cases can actually promote skin cancer growth and free radical production in the body, which is why it’s best to use an organic sunblock.
Sheesh. 🙃
Now, it’s important to note that there is no such thing as a perfect sunscreen. Many sun protectors contain harmful chemicals, and mineral-based ones often contain nanoparticles, minute ingredients that can cross the blood-brain barrier and also harm aquatic life. 🏊
And beyond that, you coat that sunscreen thickly onto your skin, often multiple times a day, and you don’t get hours-long, skin-absorbing exposure.
That’s why it’s so important to look for safer sunscreens and to recognize that you can’t only rely on sunscreens alone to prevent sun overexposure.
No any one product is going to fully protect and no product will last on your skin for more than two hours at max.
The best thing to do is just thickly apply sunscreen coatings, reapplying every time you’re out of the water and choose the best product you can find.
Other smart methods to avoid sun overexposure are a must. Like I mentioned before, avoiding overexposure during peak sunlight hours, use SPF 30 or higher sunglasses, SPF 30 or higher sun-protective hats and clothing and most importantly you need to careful of how long you stay outside.
In the EWG’s 2018 best sunscreens report, the group analyzed the ingredients and labeling claims of 650 sport and beach sunscreens; what did they find to be the some of the best sunscreens out there?
All Good Sunstick, Unscented, SPF 30
Aromatica Calendula Non-Nano UV Protection, SPF 30
Attitude 100% Mineral Sunscreen, Fragrance Free, SPF 30
Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Lotion Sunscreen, Sensitive Skin, SPF 50
Badger Sunscreen Cream, Unscented, SPF 30
Goddess Garden Organics Everyday Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
Just Skin Food Natural & Organic Sunscreen, SPF 30
Kabana Organic Skincare Green Screen Sunscreen, Neutral, SPF 31
Poofy Organics The Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
Sunology Mineral Sunscreen, Body, SPF 50
Sunology Natural Sunscreen, Face, SPF 50
Thinksport Sunscreen, SPF 50+
Waxhead Sun Defense Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
Zeb’s Organics Sunscreen, SPF 20 & 30 (4)
Lips are often overlooked when it comes to sun exposure, but it’s just as important to protect your pouty friends as it is the rest of your face and body. So, what is the best organic and natural lip sunscreen? Well, my favourite is All Good Lips - Coconut SPF20 - it’s organic and made from natural ingredients - but most importantly, it’s rated well by the EWG!!
A lot to think about, eh?
If you want some extra tips and tricks on keeping your skin looking great throughout the summer, then check out my FREE 7+ Tips and Tricks For Healthy Glowing Summer Skin guide.
It’s loaded with easy diet hacks and moisturizing tips for your skin all summer long (you can even use them through the drying winter), as well as bonus all-natural remedies for any sunburn emergency.
Don’t forget to let me know how you like to keep your skin protected, and share with me what you think of these sunscreens on Instagram @ItsIsabelleM!
Also, don’t forget to share with your friends Don't Fry Friday, to raise awesomeness about skin cancer and sun exposure. Let them know what you just learnt about the best ways they can protect there skin and how they can avoid toxic sunscreen!