Our body makes vitamin D when sunlight reacts with a chemical in our skin. How much vitamin D our skin makes depends on our own skin, where we are at, the season and even the time of day, according to the Mayo Clinic. The problem, however, is sunscreen blocks the absorption of UVB sunlight, hence blocking natural vitamin D production. So how do we reconcile preserving our skin with our health requirements?
Our Skin & Vitamin D
Vitamin D is vital to our health for many reasons. It supports healthy bones, emotional well-being, improves our immune health, and is even related to muscle and brain cell function.
Consider getting vitamin D from low exposure areas of our body. A few minutes of bum, back and belly skin can be all the exposure needed to get the benefits of the necessary vitamin D – without sacrificing the bigger picture for our skin.
Our skin requires sunlight to manufacture the best vitamin D source that exists. Self made Vitamin D is the most usable type. We could just take a vitamin D supplement, but its absorption and use is not nearly as efficient or powerful as our own self-made vitamin D.
So how can we get optimal vitamin D when we know that UV exposure is responsible for 80% of visible aging?
Rules for Being Out In The Sun
The first rule is to not be out in peak hours when UV rays can do the most harm to our skin. This can cause sunspots later on, which is not something we want to deal with. Never expose your face, neck, shoulders, décolleté, arms, and hands as these areas will always be overexposed during a lifetime.
-Use the least exposed areas of our bodies to serve as vitamin D solar panels.
-Try getting some sun about 1-3x a week.
-The long sun rays of the morning and evening are the most ideal as they can deliver without the added heat. Try 5-20 minutes in the sun depending on your skin tone. Darker skin types require longer periods of time in the sun to synthesize vitamin D and will require up to 30-50% more time in the sun.
We are walking houseplants that must find that sweet spot of short bursts of gentle, indirect, dappled light for vitamin D.
There are many acceptable, safe ways to get your daily vitamin D, whether you choose to take supplements or spend a little time in the sun, but either way let’s protect our faces! You can have both sunscreen and vitamin D without skin damage and nutritional deficiency.
If you need help choosing a good sunscreen or help with your skincare routine, you can schedule a Complimentary Virtual Consult with Danny Neifert where she will give you 1:1 support and recommendations at your convenience.
About the author
I took many wrong turns when I started learning about skin at 19. The more I spent on skincare, equipment, and training, the further I felt from actually helping skin. I was frustrated with only being able to offer temporary and superficial solutions at best. What emerged from the disappointment and turmoil, I now call, The Regenerative Skin Process. Skin Harmonics is a dedicated medical fusion holistic skincare clinic that provides a root cause approach delivering lifetime skin health through medical grade skin care products, new learning, and Deep Pore Cleansing Facials.
