Let The Sun Shine In: Why A Small Amount of Sunshine Really is Good for You

It is a known fact: Too much sunshine is dangerous for our skin.  It can do all kinds of nasty things such as cause hyper-pigmentation, decrease skin tone and elasticity, create spots and wrinkles, promote dehydration, and even worse, cause different types of skin cancer.  

Let me be clear in saying that all this is very true and certainly a real cause of concern.   However, I find that due to all these things, the sun, understandably, has gotten an extremely bad wrap.  

As in most things, I deeply believe that moderation is the key when it comes to sunshine.  Think of it like taking a dose of medication...  

A very small and titrated dose of Vitamin D, to be exact.  By now most of us have heard that vitamin D is important.  Why? It has many different very important functions in our bodies.  For starters, it promotes the absorption of calcium in the gut, it is needed for bone health (both mineralization of the bones and bone growth).  Aside from bone related maters, it also helps support immunity, reduces inflammation, helps in the modulation of cell growth, helps to elevate mood and regulate cortisol levels, as well as countless other functions throughout the body.  

So how do we get it?  Well, since our bodies do not produce vitamin D and it is rare in food, we must either take it in the form of a supplement, or get it by exposing our skin to some good old fashioned sunshine.  Exposing approximately 70% of the skin to the sun for 15-20 minutes 3-5 times a week should be enough to get adequate levels of this important vitamin (which experts say is actually more akin to a hormone than an actual vitamin).  

Note that there are a few variables in this equation... Wearing sunscreen or sunblock does inhibit the production of the vitamin (it is synthesized when UV light hits the epidermis or the outer layer of the skin) so when taking in your daily dose, wait to slather on the block until your 20 minutes are up.  You should also know that the darker your skin color, the more time you should spend in the sun in order to produce and absorb Vit D.  This is because melanin, the pigment responsible for giving skin its color, serves as a sort of sunscreen and therefore decreases the amount of vitamin D that is produced upon sun exposure.  Finally, the time of day, time of year, and latitude at which you live all have effects of the amount of vitamin D that is able to be synthesized in your skin.  The only way to know for sure that you are at a recommended level is to get your blood tested by your physician. 

With all of this said, let me just stress the importance of moderation yet again. Yes we need vitamin D for many important physiological functions, but with regard to bronzing, it is quite easy to get carried away.  Limit yourself to 20 minutes.  Period.  Overexposure will potentially cause all of those unwanted things I stated in the beginning of the post (and more).  Remember the usual things your dermatologist tells you to do, wear a hat whenever you are going out in the sun, get a really nice daily sunscreen, and don't bake yourself. Think of it as a homeopatic dose and let the skin kiss your skin.  Then lather yourself with sunblock (if you are going to continue to be in the sun) or treat your skin to some luxurious moisturizer, grab a book, and relax in a nice little spot of shade.

xoxo