Summer seems finally here to stay! And you can tell people are happier for it. This is a good time of year. And yet, we often gloss over the irritations of the season until confronted with them once more. Two of the biggest of these are sunburns and bug bites.
The Canadian Cancer Society just released a report stating that melanoma rates continue to rise, in part due to sunscreen fatigue — people not applying any, enough or frequently despite extensive sun exposure. And bug bites are at best annoying, but at worst can lead to severe allergic reactions or disease transmission like Lyme Disease.
For many, choosing sunscreens and bug spray can be exercises in frustration. Trying to find something that isn’t toxic but actually effective is easier said than done. Thanks to the Environmental Working Group‘s annual Sunscreen Guide for making that issue a little easier to navigate. As far as bug spray goes, that’s a little trickier. The always interesting and informative Adria Vasil, author of Ecoholic, covers this issue here on her blog.
If you’re interested in more preparation for summer, consider attending one of our Naturopathic First AId for Summertime workshops run by Kura’s Janet Hibbs, ND next week. See here for more details.
Alexandra Verge, ND
