We have been told the sun is harmful and that we need to protect our skin from its rays. But the chemicals used in sunscreens are actually more dangerous for us than the sun; indeed sunscreen is harmful to all life on the planet.

Today, we gain insights on the problems with sunscreen and what to do about it from Dr. Elizabeth Plourde, a Clinical Laboratory Scientist and the author of "Sunscreens Biohazard 2: Proof of Toxicity Keeps Piling Up."

It's not the sun that causes skin cancer, Elizabeth explains, but rather the chemicals in the sunscreen that disrupt our body's balanced hormone ecosystem with carcinogenic toxins. She talks about the problem of sunscreen mixing with chlorine in swimming pools, turning them into a kind of "toxic soup". Elizabeth also explains why spray sunscreens are especially dangerous and why zinc oxide isn't a particularly good type of protection, either.

But she does not leave us without hope. She offers a number of ideas for how to get a healthy amount of sun without burning. She describes how we can build up our sun exposure over time, the importance of coconut oil and a diet high in anti-oxidants and the benefits of the skin's own melanin to provide protection.

Visit Elizabeth's website: bestemfproducts.com

Check out the Weston A. Price Foundation website: westonaprice.org

Register for the Wise Traditions conference in Knoxville.

Check out our sponsors: Bubble & Bee, Paleo Valley, Optimal Carnivore