SUN & MOON GOODS

What is the best color to wear in the sun to help you stay as cool as possible?

Drum roll please…

Most people would guess white, right?

Alas, the answer to this question is…

BLACK.

Quite the Opposite of What You May Think

When most people think of dressing for the summer sun, they tend to envision wearing white and light colors. We see it everywhere. The lovely people in magazines and online… enjoying their summer picnics, walking down the beach, sporting their white/light garb, and looking all pristine.

(That is until… they drip some hot sauce on themselves, or red wine, or slip in the freshly mowed grass. Oops.)

I was quite surprised to find this out just recently… that black is actually the best choice. After all these years of wearing black during the summer and people acting like I was weird, I was actually making the cooler choice. Ha.

Complete Opposites / Black & White

While another question remains one of the most debated issues surrounding color… Are black and white even colors?

Some sources say yes, they both are. Many say no, they both aren’t. While there are others who believe one is, but not the other. So, I’ll leave this matter of color, or not, before you to decide for yourself.

Basically black is the complete absence or absorption of visible light. It absorbs all the colors in the visible spectrum and reflects none of them back to our eyes. To me, that sounds like no color. But some say it’s the “darkest color”… so we’ll go with that today.

White is a combination of all the hues together on the visible spectrum of light. That sounds like a color to me- all colors.

Yeah, they’re complete opposites.

It’s Simple Physics

While black clothing absorbs all the heat coming in from the sun, it’s also absorbing/pulling the heat away from your body. This is more cooling to your core than our buddy white, which is basically doing the opposite thing.

White clothing reflects sunlight and heat. So when your body heat hits the white fabric covering it, it gets reflected right back onto your skin, making you as a whole much warmer in fact. (Kind of like aluminum foil on a baked potato.)

Benefits of Wearing Dark Colors in the Sun

Also dark colors offer a greater degree of UV protection, making black a great choice. White offers the lowest degree of UV protection… with lighter pastel colors close behind.

The more vivid the color, the better the UV protection. RED will give you the highest degree of sun protection since its light wave is the longest… it absorbs the most ultraviolet rays in sunlight.

Help block more of those UV rays and prevent against sunburns by wearing your dark, vivid colors this summer. And don’t forgot your sun hat… choose one in black or a dark color as well.

Stay Cool & Look Cool This Summer

Make sure to select dark fabrics that are light-weight and loose. This will definitely help keep you cooler as well.

And bonus… wearing black makes you look slimmer, creating a less visible outline of your figure. Black also helps to cover up any body or garment flaws.

Since black doesn’t reflect the light, it’s a deeper visible field that makes itself actually look smaller. Because white reflects light, it draws in the eye, creating the opposite effect.

And since wearing black is making your body look leaner, this can also give your self-confidence a big boost.

While in the west, black clothing can symbolize grief and mourning… it’s also is associated with power, mystery, strength, sophistication & elegance.

Spread the Word

Black is the best color to wear in the sun and stay cooler. Who knew? I didn’t until recently. Did you?

Now that I do know it’s the best color to wear in the sun, I’m excited to wear my black garb and not feel like I’m doing it all wrong.

Not only will I feel cooler than my counterparts wearing white, but I will be more protected from the UV light. So don’t be afraid to slip on your dark colors too and enjoy the benefits available to you.

Here’s to staying as cool and comfortable as we all can this spring & summer…  while enjoying each day under the sun to the fullest!

Sun Salutations~ 🙂

Emerson V.

I’ve found many interesting facts about the Sun and Moon to share with you today.

How scientists do know all these facts is a bit mind-blowing to me. And until they figure out even more, this is what they now know and can tell us…

Did You Know…? Facts About the Sun

The Sun is a gigantic glowing ball of GAS.

Mostly made up of HYDROGEN, anywhere from 70 – 90% (sources seem to differ on this), the majority of the rest is HELIUM, leaving a very small percentage of: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, iron, magnesium, silicon and sulfur.

Energy within the Sun’s core is generated by nuclear fusion, as hydrogen is converted to helium… with an output of around 400 billion Megawatts. (Okay, that’s a lot of energy.)

And if not for the Sun’s immense gravitational force, BOOM! It would basically explode. Each SECOND the Sun consumes 4 million tons of hydrogen and yields the energy equivalent of 10 billion nuclear bombs.

While the Sun’s core reaches temperatures of 15 million degrees Celsius, its surface temp is only a mere 5,600º Celsius in comparison.

The blazing gas globe is guessed to be middle-aged at 4.6 billion years old. Scientists believe that it’s burned off about half of its stored hydrogen, leaving enough to burn for another 4.6 million years.

The Sun is one of hundreds of billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy. It’s actually quite an average-sized star called a YELLOW DWARF, closer to the Earth than all other stars and smack in the center of our solar system.

If the Sun was hollowed out, you could squeeze about 1.3 million earths inside of it. So, if our Sun is just “average”, can you imagine the size of an “exceptional” star?

While most of us think of the Sun as yellow or orange (& sometimes red), it’s actually WHITE… all the colors mixed together.

A rainbow is light from the Sun, separated into all specific seven colors. (Violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.)

Even though it’s approximately 93 million miles away, light from the Sun takes only a little over eight minutes to reach the Earth.

Keep in mind though, that it would have already taken up to 100 million years for these rays to travel from the sun’s core to its surface. (Okay, so that process is a bit lengthy.)

Did You Know…? Facts About the Moon

The Moon’s strong gravitational pull slows down the spin of the Earth, making our days what they are with twenty-four hours. Without the Moon we could have a ten-hour day… and the Earth could wobble off it’s 23.5º axis, making the seasons erratic.

“Month” stems from the word moon. One month was originally 29 – 30 days, roughly equal to the 29.5 day lunar cycle. Some calendar months were later given extra days so that 12 months would make up one complete 365-day year.

Every couple of years or so there is a 13th full Moon during the year, referred to as a “Blue Moon.” (How extra special.) And this year it’s occurring on hello… October 31st, quite a rare occurrence indeed. (Not occurring again on Halloween until 2039.)

The Moon appears in different shapes during each of its eight lunar phases, depending on its position and those of the Sun and Earth.

When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun in its orbit, the back side of the Moon is lit up and the side facing the Earth is in darkness… a NEW MOON.

When the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, the near side of the Moon is fully lit up… a FULL MOON.

The eight lunar phases are: new (no moon in the sky), waxing (growing) crescent (banana-shaped), first quarter (right half), waxing gibbous (D-shaped), full, waning (shrinking) gibbous, last quarter (left half), waning crescent.

Each month’s full Moon has a different name and meaning, many have come via Native American culture.

The next full Moon is on May 7th, called the “Flower Moon.” Some other names that could be used are the Hare Moon, Corn Planting Moon, or Milk Moon.

The average distance between the Earth and Moon is 238,855 miles depending on where exactly the Moon is. Apogee is when the Moon is at its furthest point from the Earth, and perigee is when it’s the closest.

A SUPERMOON is when the full Moon occurs during perigee. The tides hit more extreme heights as the gravitational pull becomes stronger, and the Moon appears 14% larger and 30% brighter.

Our Constant Sky Companions…

There’s something quite comforting to look up into the expansive sky and see a radiant glow from either the Sun or Moon. They regulate and stabilize our sleep cycles and seasons.

While the Sun brings us warmth, feeds our plants and basically makes all life possible, the Moon brings rhythm and balance in our tides, regulates women’s cycles and lights up the dark nights.

The Sun’s ultraviolet light has antiseptic properties and can be used to sanitize water and tools. Setting water out in the sunlight energizes it, which can then be used creatively and to help revive plants that may need it.

Opening up all your curtains each day and letting in the sunlight will lift your homes’ energy and purify it, leaving your space feeling more alive and energized.

The full Moon tends to signify a large build-up of energy. Many people feel the effects of this on many levels, but don’t know what to do with all this intense, extra energy.

It’s the perfect time to reflect on your previous month and course correct if need be, cleanse your mental and physical space (meditate, relax, clean, & organize).

While it’s not the best time to start new projects (wait for the new Moon to do that), it’s an amazing opportunity for self-reflection and discovery.

The Moon and Sun/Yin and Yang

The traditional art and science of Feng Shui incorporates the Sun and Moon as representing Yin and Yang…perfect harmony and balance.

The Moon represents Yin

• feminine energy
• wisdom
• intuition & receptivity
• spiritual connection

The Sun represents Yang

• masculine energy
• active enthusiasm
• supportive & enduring
• expands outward

Portrayals of the Sun and Moon together in the home can bring harmony and balance. They lift the chi, or energy, of your home… if things feel stuck, they will return a sense of flow.

Imagery of the Sun can be considered to bring one into the light and offer positive influence for personal wealth and success.

While the Moon is the celestial body that represents love, its likeness can help create energy to attract a new relationship, or to help a current one reach the next level of commitment.

Light Up Our Skies and Our Hearts

Whether I’m happily basking in the warmth of a sunbeam, or lingering under the mystical moonlight, my heart is full of love for our sky companions.

I appreciate all that they do for us and everything they represent.

I so hope you’ve enjoyed these facts about the Sun and Moon. Learning more about these fascinating friends of Earth was a lot of fun for me.

Happy Sunrises & Sunsets to you all!  🙂

~Emerson V.

About Me

I admit it… I used to be quite the sun worshiper. I loved lying in the Sun soaking up the rays. At university (many, many years ago), my friends and I were always competing during summer break for the glory of having the best tan.

We would go to the pool every day and slather on our suntan oil… yeah OIL, probably baby oil/mineral oil… I know, so not great! But wow, after that initial pink hue faded, I’d turn a deep golden brown. And yes, was often the winner.

While I do still love the warmth of the Sun and being out in it, I’m also more careful these days about protecting my skin… (and wish I did more back then). This will hopefully be something we’ll offer… the best natural sunscreens we can find.

I’m also doing research on sun-protective clothing, hats and umbrellas. I find these products very interesting and would also like to provide recommendations to them here & also point you towards the coolest sunglasses too.

The Moon has always had a mystical hold over me… especially the full Moon. The rumor is that it makes people feel a bit crazy. I think that’s because its energy during this time is so powerful.

People probably feel this, but don’t know what to do with all that extra energy… lending more potential for things to go awry? I’d like to research this and post about it on here.

I had an amazing experience at the beach… I’d gone one afternoon by myself to take a nice, long walk and watch the setting Sun. As I happily watched the bright colors fade from the sky, the ocean waves crashed behind me.

I turned around to notice the sky growing quite light over the horizon. To my surprise, a gigantic full Moon began to rise. It was so bright, for a brief moment I was confused and thought it was the Sun.

It was unlike any full moon I’ve ever seen… I’m pretty sure it was a “supermoon”. And it was steadily rising up over the water… becoming simply one of the most spectacular sights I’ve every seen.

I sat flabbergasted, watching it soar into the dark night sky, lighting up the whole beach under its gorgeous glow.

Offering a VARIETY of SUN and MOON themed GOODS

The Sun and the Moon inspire me greatly as an artist and I quite enjoy painting and drawing images of them. They represent yin & yang… the masculine and feminine energies.

Yin is associated with the Moon and the feminine, which includes being receptive, supportive and a long-lasting energy. Yang is associated with Sun and the masculine, which includes being active, energetic and passionate.

I love all kinds of art, jewelry apparel and decor that boasts these images… you will be able to find that here. We want to offer you a unique variety of all the coolest things we can find relating to the both the Sun and Moon~

To INSPIRE, Bring You JOY & PROTECT

SUN and MOON GOODS strives to inspire and bring you joy with artful depictions of these mystical, magical spheres… on products of all types… I’m excited to bring you all that we can.

We hope to also offer the best natural sun protectants… whether apparel or sunscreens.

I’ll also be posting articles about yin and yang, all the best products we can find, and all things exciting about the Sun & Moon.  🙂

Love & Light, Day & Night,

Emerson Vialou / Founder of Sun and Moon Goods

Welcome to SUN AND MOON GOODS

This site is going to deliver all of the most amazing products that I can find relating… to the Sun & Moon.

From jewelry to apparel… from natural sun protectants to stylish shades… from exciting art in many forms to inspiring products relating to our sky companions… and all things magical.  This site promises to be something special…  as only are the SUN & MOON.  🙂