Recently, there has been some irresponsible and frankly dangerous information about sun exposure from many online Ƶwellness influencers.Ƶ
I put that in quotes because I think many of these folks are much more concerned with views and payments from social media platforms than they are about your actual wellness. I say this fairly often, but it can be very tough to differentiate an actual expert that is providing helpful and thoughtful natural health advice from someone with a flashy video that is just in it for the views.
So, hereƵs my take. Yes, responsible sun exposure can be beneficial. There is certainly a time and place for a limited amount of skin exposure to the sun for most people, especially if you have trouble maintaining an adequate level of Vitamin D. But there are two key words to pay attention to, limited amount. Depending on where you live and your skin tone, a beneficial limited amount of sun exposure can vary from as little as 3 minutes to as much as 30 minutes of noon time summer sun. In the winter months when we are much more covered up, it can take as much as two hours for our skin to produce adequate amounts of Vitamin D from sun exposure. So, with all these variables and of course your family history of skin cancers, there is obviously no one size fits all approach to sun exposure. This is why itƵs important to talk with your doctor about your personalized approach to healthy sun exposure based on all these factors and more.
Some online Ƶwellness influencersƵ are going as far as suggesting that sunscreen is dangerous. But studies have shown otherwise. showed a 40% lower risk of squamous cell cancers as well lower incidences of basal cell carcinoma and melanoma in the group using regular applications of a broad spectrum sunscreen.
Sure, many sunscreens are made with some not so natural ingredients that some folks might want to avoid, but even those sunscreens will likely be much safer than the risk of skin cancers due to long term exposure to the sun. If this is a concern for you, then look for a natural sunscreen with natural ingredients. You may have to apply a natural sunscreen more frequently, so read the directions of all sunscreens closely. And yes, you will still produce plenty of vitamin D even if you are wearing sunscreen. Maybe at a slower rate, but your skin with thank you for it.
So, yes, go get some sun. But do so in a safe, responsible manner. Talk with your doctor and make a plan for limited sun exposure. If you have skin issues or a family history of skin cancers that keeps you away from the sun, then no sweat, take a good quality vitamin D supplement at the dose that your doctor suggests. But, either way, slather on a good quality sunscreen most of the time you are in the sun. By the way, research has also shown that up to 90% of skin aging can be attributed to sun exposure so make sure to keep that in mind next time you scroll by a social media post talking about the ƵdangersƵ of sunscreen.
Travis Lemon is a certified herbalist and co-owner of Tulsi at The Market in Huntington. He can be contacted at travislemonmh@gmail.com.
