Skin cancer is caused by the ultraviolet rays that penetrate through your skin and mutate the skin’s DNA. Exposure to sunlight is good to a certain degree as you benefit from Vitamin D, but excessive exposure can cause more harm than good. With the advent of sunscreen creams and lotions, we are given a protective layer that prevents us from sunburn, but the question here is whether sunscreens prevent our skin from damage. The answer to this would be a yes and a no.

There are a variety of creams in the market that offer protection against two kinds UV — UVA and UVB — with both causing cancer. The SPF indications on the packaging refers to the sun protection factor, quantifying the extent to which the cream should protect you from sunburn. The most critical thing to look for on the packaging would be whether the cream is a broad-spectrum sunscreen, protecting against UVA & UVB rays.

Doctors believe that the right kind of sunscreens can prevent skin cancer to a large extent, but recommend that the application of such creams should be in addition to wearing protective clothing, sunglasses and keeping in the shade as much as possible. However, wearing a sunscreen lotion with broad-spectrum protection and a high SPF should not encourage you to spend more time in the sun. Tests conducted on both animals and humans have also produced evidence that sunscreens have the potential to protect against skin cancer.

If you go to a pharmacy and peruse through the variety of sunscreens on the shelves, you may be surprised to find that the most effective ones are often the cheapest. Specialized creams tend to cater to particular customers who are either focused on how the product smells or feels on the skin with effectiveness being a secondary concern.

However, recently conducted tests on animals state: “the composition of sun blocks — particularly oxybenzone, disrupts the function of the endocrine gland which may cause an adverse impact on sexual health and reproduction.” However, research is still on-going but so far, as evidence shows the benefits of sunscreens outweigh the the risks. However, it is worth noting that pregnant women and children should avoid sunscreens and sunblocks with oxybenzone as a precautionary measure.

After considering the estimated deaths from skin cancers, which is about 11,790 each year, as well as the financial, emotional and health tolls of fighting cancer, sunscreens and sunblocks are the cheapest and most effective way to avoid skin cancer.

———-

Amanda Kidd is a blogger by profession who believes in eco friendly existence. Recently she was really impressed by a green technology concept to reduce Environment Pollution in which the gadgets converted kinetic energy into renewable energy for a clean recharge and also a step ahead to power save.

Photo courtesy of Robert S. Donovan.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Well, recycled toilet paper to the rescue! What a great idea! Recycle all the paper we use anyway and recycle it into something we’ll also use. The problem, however, is at most grocers the recycled toilet paper is often more expensive than the regular paper. So what is an eco-friendly apartment dweller to do short of purchasing a bidet?

Well, you can buy Trader Joe’s 100% Recycled Toilet Paper – twelve rolls for only $3.99! It is 80% post-consumer product recycled and scored an impressive “green” rating with the Environmental Resources Defense Council tissue guide. For that price, I can purchase a four-pack of recycled toilet paper at my conventional grocer. Hm, twelve versus four for the same price…

Thank you Trader Joe’s for yet another fabulous product, not to mention the amusing bathroom reading.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

But eating in season? That wasn’t something that crossed my mind. In fact, I realized I did not even know when most fruits and vegetables came into season! Yes, that is how out-of-touch with our world we city-dwellers and suburbanites have become.

So I thought to myself, “What the heck is in season?” After scouring the internet and dozens of sites, I compiled a list as a crib sheet that I keep next to my master grocery list on the fridge. And here, I’ll share it with you!

First, note that autumn is September through November in the Northern hemisphere.

Autumn fruits:

• Apples
• Berries: blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries
• Figs
• Grapes come to their best in autumn
• Pears
• Plums

Autumn vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Carrots are their most robust this season
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chicory
• Corn
• Fennel
• Jerusalem artichoke
• Leeks
• Onion
• Parsnip
• Peppers
• Potato
• Pumpkin
• Radish
• Squash
• Sweet potato
• Turnip
• Zucchini

The benefit of eating in season is you are more likely by default to be purchasing more local items as they are in season in your area. Most grocers try to get the best price on produce and in season is cheaper locally. This also means your wallet will benefit from the savings and the planet will appreciate you not having your produce shipped from half-way across the world.

But, and perhaps on a spiritual/emotional note, you will be reconnecting to the earth in the simplest form – eating the bounty while it’s available. You’ll be enhancing that feeling you get when you smell pumpkin spice bread on a crisp autumn morning or pumpkin pie the week of Thanksgiving. The seasons can give you more to celebrate and enjoy if only you take the time to be in sync.

Happy harvest eating!

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

for the newbies

Condo Blues gives us 8 Steps to Reducing Household Trash posted at Condo Blues.

Chris presents Green homes explained posted at Home I Own. While a little out of our usual prospect, I did find Australia’s take on greening homes fascinating and thought it was too interesting not to share.

June Tree talks about Green Living: Ways To Recycle And Buy Used posted at The Digerati Life. Always a good topic.

health & beauty

Sheila V. Flores presents Affordable Natural Face Scrub posted at Eco Glamourista.

mike marlow presents Overeating Keeps A Belly Busy posted at Raw Food Recipes. While I don’t personally subscribe to the raw food movement, I have great admiration for those who do!

in the news

Looks like Katy Unitek can’t get enough of us! She has a new submission,  California Leads the Charge! – Boots on the Roof posted at Boots On The Roof.

Steve Faber presents Check Out These Fun Diesel Cars – High MPG / High MPH posted at super gas saver, saying, “Just because you want be green behind the wheel doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, too. Sip fuel to the tune of 40+ mpg, but don’t get bored doing it.”

living spaces

TSW presents a post on the issue nearest and dearest to my heart: Green Cleaning Products: How To Clean Your House The Eco-Friendly Way posted at The Smarter Wallet.

patio & garden

Guffly presents Autumn is the Time to Fall in Love with Cleaning | Guffly posted at Guffly.

—–

That concludes this edition of Tips for Green Living. Thank you all for your excellent submissions and I hope you found some useful info in this carnival. You can find a new edition posted every second and fourth Monday here at Green Your Apartment. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Tips for Green Living using our carnival submission form.

Go green and live well!

________________

Tips for Green Living logo image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

So it should go without saying we love HEPA. Our vacuum, which is used every other day, has a HEPA filter. Our central air conditioning and heating unit also has one. And now, there is an air purifier that offers not only HEPA but is lead-free and certified not only but the Environmental Protection Agency but also by the U.S. Department of Energy.

I show you the Alen Paralda HEPA UV Air Purifier!

For asthmatics and allergy-sufferers, this thing has also been listed as the Respiratory Management’s Product of the Year. I drool, people, I drool. I wish I had one of these after reading review after review singing it’s praises.

The only reason I do not have one yet – the $499 price tag. Looks like I must long a little bit longer…

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

So one day, I’m browsing the aisles at my local Tar-jay and I see this cheery package “Made and for People Against Dirty”:

Now, I’m a sucker for clever packaging and copy (as I am a copywriter!) so I pick up a bag. It promises no phosphates, no bleach, no dirty chemicals to clean my dishes. Sold!

I take the stuff home and pop the little tablet in my not-so-great apartment standard dishwasher loaded full of pots, pans, and dishes with some food particles still on them. (Hey, it’s why I own a dishwasher, right? Heavy rinsing beforehand is just wasting water anyway!)

My dishes came out clean. Even the pot with burnt garlic, dried tomato sauce and greasy meat residue. It was clean!

And at just about $6.50 per package, I get 20 truly clean loads of dishes from a non-toxic wash.

Did I mention I barely rinsed those dishes? Love it!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The amazing folding bicycle!

Lightweight, easy to store, and commuter-friendly as it folds up into a manageable size to fit in a trunk, next to you on the train, or in the hall closet once you get home. Bike commuting made easy? Yes please! Good for the wallet, the ozone layer, and the waistline.

Just beware, my dears, at $699 for the Commuter TX model it is pricier than a standard bicycle. However, if it can get you to bike to work, the store, a friend’s house? Well then, you’ll probably have it pay for itself within a few months of cut commuting costs alone, minus the price of the new pants you’ll need in that smaller size.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.