Tips for healthy living

Chances are, you are a diligent food label reader like us. What are the ingredients? Is it organic? Where is it sourced? 

But when was the last time you checked your sunscreen label? And did you know that some standard sun protection chemicals can last for weeks in your bloodstream?

Different types of sunblocks and how they work

There are a lot of different terms when it comes to sunblock. Broad-spectrum. Fragrance-free, paraben-free. Noncomedogenic. But how each product provides protection generally can be divided into two types: physical barrier and chemical barrier. You’ve probably used both types—ones that provide physical barriers often use the term “mineral sunscreen” while the chemical barrier types are usually found in spray sunscreens.

Physical Protection

Active Ingredients: Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide

Physical barrier sunscreens work the same way clothes do. They sit atop your skin and actually block the UV rays shining down.

Physical barrier sunscreens usually rely on one or two primary mineral ingredients: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These were the original types of sun block—the kind that conjure the image of the thick, goopy swath of white striping down an 80’s lifeguard’s nose. 

But zinc sunscreens have come a long way since then. 

Many brands have developed lightweight zinc oxide sunscreens that rub on smoothly, sans haze. And some even come with tinting so that it blends even better with your skin. You’ll especially see zinc oxide as the primary ingredient in kid’s and “sensitive skin” sunblocks.

Chemical Protection

Active Ingredients:Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Homosalate, Octinoxate, Cinoxate, Dioxybenzone, Ensulizole, Meradimate, Padimate O, and Sulisobenzone,

Chemical sunscreens on the other hand, don’t actually “block” UV rays. Instead, they absorb the UV radiation and chemically convert the rays into heat, which is then released by the body.

Chemical sunscreens generally dominate the grocery shelves, with a wide array of active ingredients, with the top ones being avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone. 

~Get technical~ A popular trend in sunscreens is to offer a combo with both physical blockers and chemical ingredients. These sometimes will include “nano-Zinc oxide” and “nano-Titanium dioxide,” but these “nano” versions of the minerals are on NOAA’s list of chemicals that harm marine life.

So what’s the problem with chemical sunscreen?

They aren’t exactly “skin safe”

Even though some of the chemicals have been added to cosmetics since the 60’s, they haven’t really been studied that much by the FDA and were just grandfathered in, despite the lack of safety testing.

But in 2019​​​​​​​ only 2 out of the 16 active sunscreen ingredients met the GRASE standard (“Generally Recognized As Safe and Effective”). The only two? Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Two did not meet the criteria (PABA and trolamine salicylate) and the other 12 were on the list for requiring further data. 

Although current data is inconclusive, from preliminary studies, these sunscreen chemicals could impact endocrine levels and alter hormone balance—a particular worry for developing teens. In addition, many were more likely to cause an allergic reaction as opposed to the physical sunblock. But what’s also troubling is that these chemicals can stay in your body for weeks after just a single use. Researchers actually detected sunscreen chemicals in study participant’s urine, in blood levels weeks after last application, and even in breast milk.

The majority definitely aren’t “ocean safe”

Maybe you’ve heard about coral reef bleaching. Or perhaps even “reef safe” sunscreens, but aren’t sure what that means.

Reefs are vital to many coasts—not only as vibrant ecosystems, but as deterrents for flooding, erosion, and ocean health.

So what do these chemical sunscreens do?

What happens is that the very chemicals that work to convert the UV rays in your skin end up getting absorbed by ocean and marine life for detrimental effects. For reefs, the chemicals (especially oxybenzone and the additive BP-2) accumulate in tissues and eventually cause DNA damage and death. For algae, it coats them and prevents them from absorbing UV which they need for photosynthesis. For fish and mollusks, it can impact fertility and cause birth defects. These chemicals can even impact the reproductive cycles of dolphins.

Scientists have estimated that 14,000 tons of sunscreen end up in coral reefs every year, and it falls down as micro-particles that wash off from nearby swimmers.

But the effects aren’t just limited to those tropical vacationers. Any time we use these chemicals and they are then washed off down our shower drain, they end up in our water streams—particularly because water treatment facilities aren’t equipped to filter for them. Not only do these chemicals eventually make their way to the sea from runoff, but the chemicals can then impact the algae and freshwater fish in our land-surrounded waterways. 

Lastly, here are some additional ingredients that are not coral reef safe: Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, 3-Benzylidene camphor, Nano-Titanium dioxide, and Nano-Zinc oxide.

Final recommendations for sunscreen

So which types and brands do we recommend?

To be absolutely safe, use physical barrier sunblock. They are friendly to sensitive skin, aren’t absorbed into the skin and pose no threat to the reefs. Look for brands that are broad-spectrum, paraben-free and PABA-free. Fragrance-free, oil-free, and noncomedogenic are best for sensitive skin. And for the most thorough protection, most researchers recommend an SPF of 30 and no higher than 50.

Protecting your skin from overexposure to UV radiation is one of the most important steps to preventing skin cancer, but with so many options and conscientious brand out there, you don’t have to expose your body, your loved one’s bodies, or the environment to harmful chemicals along the way. 

Here are brands that we recommend:

• All Good Sport Sunscreen
• Stream2Sea (This brand was actually founded by a diver and is the “only mineral based sunscreen on the planet that’s been tested and proven safe for freshwater fish”)
• All Terrain AquaSport
• Badger
• Derma-E
• Mad Hippie

And don’t forget your lips!

For lips, we recommend and carry:

• All Good
• Lip Trip
• Lip Rescue

Immune Boosting Recommendations

These recommendations include amounts for when your body is at a time of increased immune concern and for year-round maintenance.

1. Vitamin C

• 4K mg daily for time of immune concern | 2K mg/day for maintenance

2. Elderberry Syrup

• 1 Tb twice daily or 400mg Elderberry capsule twice daily- we have several brands that include Vit C in their Elderberry! We have both shelf stable and refrigerated Organic Elderberry Syrups available. Elderberry Syrup is available as 3 types:
• Straight extract (Elderberry is clinically known to kill 99% of all virus that cause throat infections and boosts your immune system);
• Elderberry with Cloves, Honey, and Cinnamon (which also helps protect your bronchial system);
• Elderberry with Echinacea, Hibiscus, Rose Hips, Honey, and Cinnamon

3. Colloidal Silver

• 1 tsp twice daily during time of immune concern; ½ tsp daily for maintenance

4. Vitamin D3

• 4 kIU daily | 1-2 kIU daily
• If you are around a lot of people and/or children in your daily flow of life, we recommend taking this amount all year long.
• If not, then 4kIU during concerned time and 1-2kIU/day

5. Echinacea

• 400mg min daily during time of concern not to exceed 2 months of daily intake

6. Superfoods

• Such as Wheatgrass, Goji Berries, Blueberries, Muscadine Grape, and algae like Spirulina, Blue, and Red.
• These foods are extremely high in antioxidants, which boost your immune system. (There are many antioxidant-rich foods, but these top our list.) We do have these superfoods available to add into any juices or smoothies at our drink bar.

Hand Sanitizing Options

In addition to frequent hand washing (remember, it’s 20 full seconds!), use sanitizers to keep your hands clean throughout the day. We carry clean sanitizers that are usually only 75% alcohol combined with astringent herbs and probiotics to thoroughly clean and protect.

Remember that time you told yourself how nice it would be to grow sprouts at home? Well, with the shelter-at-home orders prompted by the Coronavirus, there’s no better time to try your hand at some of these at-home activities that are amazing for your health. 

This fun, DIY list of kits beats feeling stir crazy, can include the kids.

And it’s definitely healthier than a Netflix couch binge!

 

 1. Home Brew Kombucha Kit 

This kit from Humble Bumble Kombucha is perfect for the Kombucha tea lovers. It comes with everything you need, including the glass jar, black tea, pre-measured sugar, the cloth and band, and instructions. The only step after you pick up the kit is to go to Humble Bumble’s site and order your colony! Yes, you heard right! Your SCOBY, or, Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast is what makes your kombucha grow! It comes free with your kit purchase code, and they’ll ship it out right away so it’s fully alive.

 

And when you buy your kit at Harmony Farms, you’ll see it comes at a discount from the online price. Shopping local is always the way to go!

 2. Grow Your Own Sprouts 

Fresh sprouts are chock full of immune-boosting healthy nutrients, fresh enzymes, and are high in minerals. And growing sprouts at home is one of the approachable at-home activities. What we recommend (and carry) are the sack and jar growing kits.

With the jar method, you start by soaking the seeds in water for 8-10 hours. After that, you drain them, store away from direct sunlight* with proper airflow (to avoid spoiling), and rinse them 2-3 times daily. The sprouts are ready to eat once they grow to ¼-1 inch in length. To store, be sure to dry off the sprouts and place them in an air-sealed container in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.

With the sack method, once you give them their initial soak, just empty your seeds into the sack and hang. You’ll still need to rinse them 2 times a day to keep them fresh. Once they’ve sprouted, drop them into a sealable container and refrigerate!

Bonus! With the jar method, you can create an amazing timelapse video to capture the sprouting. Just set up a spare phone or a GoPro in a nearby spot in sight of the jar. Your kids (and you) will love watching the finished timelapse!

*Sprouts like alfalfa, broccoli, and clover benefit from a couple of hours of direct sunlight which provides them with additional nutrients and color through photosynthesis.

 3. Cultures for Health Starters  

Based right here in the Triangle, Cultures for Health offers multiple culture starter kits—from sourdough bread to greek yogurt to cheese!

Do you have mason jars, coffee filters, and filtered water at your house? Then you can make sourdough! Milk, stainless steel pot, and a thermometer? Greek yogurt.

At first glance, making foods with culture may seem intimidating (who would think they could make their own cheese??), but Cultures for Health gives complete easy-to-follow instructions with each kit, including what ingredients you’ll need at home. Check out the Cultures for Health instructions for sourdough bread here.

Once you activate your starter, each kit has a unique, but easy to follow nurture cycle.

And they also have gluten-free starter kits as well as kits for vegan yogurt!

 4. Ferment it Yourself Mason Jar Kit 

Fermentation with this kit from Masontops is a breeze: all that’s needed are wide mouth mason jars, vegetables, and salt! While the vegetables provide bacteria and carbohydrates, the salt creates a brine that prevents the vegetables from spoiling during the process. 

Fermenting usually requires a couple pieces of special equipment like weights for your fermenting veggies and a way to vent the jar, but this kit takes care of those. The weight keeps the veggies submerged in your brine (they would otherwise rise from the carbon dioxide production), and Masontops special vented tops allow for the gas to escape—without them, you could have an explosion in your kitchen!

What this kit comes with:

• A step-by-step guide
• Pickle Pipes*
• Pickle Pebbles*
• Pickle Packer*

(Try to say that 5 times fast)

Fermented foods are packed full of the freshest probiotics you can give your body, and making them at home just got a lot easier.

 5. Make Your Own Elderberry Syrup 

One of our local favorites, Sweets, brings the power of immune-boosting syrup into your home.

Each Sweet’s DIY Kit includes their dried organic elderberries from Austria and their signature organic spice blend.

All you need is a pot and filtered water. Simmer as long as the packing directs, and then add the sweetener of your choice to create up to 32 ounces of syrup. 

Now is the time to try your hand at these fun at-home activities along with enjoying the spring sunshine and this unique opportunity to reconnect with loved ones.

**WE HAVE NOW RETURNED TO NORMAL HOURS AND ARE OPEN UNTIL 8PM MON-SAT**

COVID-19 has become a pressing health concern, especially here in our own Wake County, and we at Harmony Farms are taking it very seriously. Chiefly, these include extra safety, health, and cleaning precautions to keep our staff and customers safe.

As of May 22, in complying to Governor Cooper’s latest guidelines, we will only allow a maximum of 44 people into the store at a time, including staff. Considering that we rarely hit that maximum, this new guidance should not affect your shopping experience. In addition, we also have the floor marked every six feet so our shoppers can safely queue up when checking out.

In addition to providing hand sanitizers at both checkouts, we’re safely sanitizing each check out area regularly, and we have signage posted with instructions for correct hand washing at every sink. At our bulk spice area, all the scoops are single use, and at our organic drink bar, staff wear gloves, practice frequent hand washing, and are adhering to CDC recommendations.

In addition, all staff are applying Silver Biotics Advanced Healing Skin Cream (which contains colloidal silver) throughout the day to make sure their natural skin barrier remains healthy between the hand sanitizing. And, as to be expected, any staff showing symptoms of illness are staying at home. We are also regularly sageing the store (because it has natural antiviral qualities), have negative-ionizing lamps at both registers and the offices (which help cleanse the air), and have a ozonator positioned above the front door in order to purify the air of the entire store.

Immune Boosting Recommendations

1. Vitamin C

• 4K mg daily for time of immune concern | 2K mg/day for maintenance

2. Elderberry Syrup

• 1 Tb twice daily or 400mg Elderberry capsule twice daily- we have several brands that include Vit C in their Elderberry! We have both shelf stable and refrigerated Organic Elderberry Syrups available. Elderberry Syrup is available as 3 types:
• Straight extract (Elderberry is clinically known to kill 99% of all virus that cause throat infections and boosts your immune system);
• Elderberry with Cloves, Honey, and Cinnamon (which also helps protect your bronchial system);
• Elderberry with Echinacea, Hibiscus, Rose Hips, Honey, and Cinnamon

3. Colloidal Silver

• 1 tsp twice daily during time of immune concern; ½ tsp daily for maintenance

4. Vitamin D3

• 4 kIU daily | 1-2 kIU daily
• If you are around a lot of people and/or children in your daily flow of life, we recommend taking this amount all year long.
• If not, then 4kIU during concerned time and 1-2kIU/day

5. Echinacea

• 400mg min daily during time of concern not to exceed 2 months of daily intake

6. Superfoods

• Such as Wheatgrass, Goji Berries, Blueberries, Muscadine Grape, and algae like Spirulina, Blue, and Red.
• These foods are extremely high in antioxidants, which boost your immune system. (There are many antioxidant-rich foods, but these top our list.) We do have these superfoods available to add into any juices or smoothies at our drink bar.

Hand Sanitizing Options

In addition to frequent hand washing (remember, it’s 20 full seconds!), use sanitizers to keep your hands clean throughout the day. We carry clean sanitizers that are usually only 75% alcohol combined with astringent herbs and probiotics to thoroughly clean and protect.