BY SANDRA GUY

As the sun’s warmth beckons, it’s yet another in this age of cautionary tales: UV rays can penetrate and damage skin cells, and overexposure to UV can lead to skin cancer. 

But there’s good news: You can stay true to your commitment to natural products by using sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum protection and add on creams and gels with ingredients such as propolis, caffeine, aloe vera, raspberry oil and Buriti oil.

Caffeine helps the skin eliminate sun-damaged cells, while Buriti oil is rich in beta-carotene, vitamins C and E and essential fatty acids that keep the skin hydrated. Aloe vera and raspberry oil provide added moisture to sunscreen.

Just remember to re-apply sunscreen with a high UVA rating and an SPF of 30 to 50 every two hours, experts say.

The natural ingredients show us yet another way to let the environment guide our thinking. Just as bees use propolis — a resinous mixture that bees collect from plants — to seal and protect their hives, its rich antioxidant properties help protect against UVB and UVA rays.

Another tip: Wear sun-protective lip balm. And if you’re fashion-conscious, it’s OK to put lipstick on top.

If you’re prone to acne, choose an oil-free gel sunscreen. Beware if you’re taking Doxycycline for acne or skin infections; it can increase your risk of getting a sunburn, experts say.

Other natural ways to save yourself from a painful sunburn or long-term skin or eye damage are:

• Wear loose, light-colored clothing. It reflects the sun’s rays better than dark clothing. Or better yet, wear clothes with a UV protective factor.

• Drink plenty of water or hydrating fluids – starting the day before your day in the sun. Drink hydrating fluids when you’re thirsty.

• Wear sunglasses. It’s easy to forget, but long-term sun exposure can cause basal-cell carcinoma on your eyelids and temporary or permanent damage to your retina, lens or the thin surface layer of your eye’s cornea.

And you should always wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect vulnerable ears and scalp.

“No hat is not a good idea, even if you have a full head of hair. That’s 25 percent of your exposed skin right there,” said Dr. Samuel Grief, associate professor of clinical family medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago.