Protect Your Skin From Sun
February 17, 2009
Sun protection has been of prime importance since the tribal age. The tribal women of Africa indulged in one of the beauty regime which involved protecting their skin from the harsh rays of sun. In those days, when sun screen lotions did not exist, and definitely not in the remote lands of Africa, these ingenious women applied an ochre paste known as “Otjize”. This paste was applied all over the face and body to save their skin from the scorching sun. Otijze was their mantra for glowing red skin, this paste was made of red ochre rocks, mixed with butterfat and resin from some shrubs to add a pleasant scent.
These tribal women would coat themselves from head to toe including the hair. This paste was used by both men and women. It is still widely used in Africa for sun protection, though the ingredients have changed a bit over the years.
Now the stone is grounded to soft red powder and is mixed with water or vaseline to convert it into liquid form, which is easy to apply on the face and body. It can also be mixed with daily use body creams. However, it can give your skin a reddish tinge when in sunlight. This is by far the best natural sun protection method but has not gained much popularity.
These days sunscreen lotions are available for various skin types so choose one which best suits your skin type. Incase if your exposure to the sun is for 3 – 4 hours or more then you need to re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours, unlike this Otijze paste the cosmetic sunscreens do not offer protection for long hours.
During summer, even if you step out for 5 minutes don’t forget to apply your shield. Dermatologists recommend that you wear your sunscreen even if you are indoors and also during monsoon. Depending on the weather you can choose either a water resistant sunscreen or an ordinary one.
In places where the humidity is very high and you tend to sweat more, it is advisable to use a water proof sunscreen. Nowadays it is easily available in the market; this type of sunscreen is also useful for swimmers. One last thumb rule regarding use of sunscreen is that it should be applied at least 10 to 15 minutes before exposure to the sun.
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