This question is of great debate because isn’t the sun loaded full of Vitamin D, an essential hormone to the body? YES it is and YES you need it. Vitamin D helps to enhance immune function, improve bone density and strength, protect you cardiometabolic pathways and is a powerful epigenetic signal that aids in upregulating specific genes for enhanced health.
The flip side is the ozone layer is compromised. Between 2008 and 2018, the number of new melanoma cases diagnosed has increased annually by 53 percent.
Yet, many of today’s sunscreens are filled with harmful estrogenic chemicals so what should you do?
With summer here, the sun is out so let’s take a smart approach to protecting our skin and overall health.
Give yourself 15 minutes of non protected sun exposure daily for proper Vitamin D intake. This is great to do first thing in the morning, go out for a walk and drink in the sun, this also sets your sleep/wake rhythms and will support a deeper night sleep when you get enough natural sunlight exposure during the day.
By the peak sun hours from 10 am -2pm, be sure to apply a “broad spectrum” sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher. This will protect against all types of UV rays. Any sunscreen with an SPF below 15 must carry a warning that it protects only against sunburn, not skin cancer or skin aging.
To find the best sunscreens that do not contain harmful chemicals, go to Each the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) website for their list of safe and effective sunscreens based on your individual needs. Be sure to share your favorite SPF 30 BPA-Free choice and go have some fun in the sun!
REFERENCE: www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts
