Did you know that getting a little bit of sun can be good for you in small doses? It can be ok to be outside without sunscreen for short periods of time as long as do it safely.
Why? Because sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D.
Your body’s natural Vitamin D production is reduced by up to 99.9 % when using sunscreen. Vitamin D is made by the body with the help of sunlight, and this transformation takes place in the skin.
If you’re familiar with vitamin D, you know that a vitamin D deficiency is linked to many different health issues, including heart disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, and even cancer.
Although vitamin D can be ingested through food, most foods don’t contain high enough levels of it to be beneficial. Vitamin D is also available in supplement form, but unless you know your actual vitamin D level, it is hard to gauge how much you really need.
It’s also important to remember that vitamins work synergistically with other vitamins rather than as isolated compounds, so sunlight really is the most natural and beneficial way for your body to naturally maintain its own healthy vitamin D levels.
The good news? It takes as little as 15 minutes of sunlight exposure to your face and hands per day to produce adequate levels of vitamin D.
How to Safely Go Outside Without Sunscreen
While some sun is healthy, you definitely don’t want to overdo it, so there are some easy guidelines to follow to be in the sun safely.
Studies show that excess sun exposure that results in sunburn is a well-known risk factor for melanoma, and your risk of getting it increases in direct relation to how often you get sunburned, and the severity of it. However, other studies show that those who spend more time outdoors without getting sunburn actually decrease their chance of developing melanoma.
3 tips to keep your skin safe, but also to maximize your body’s ability to produce vitamin D:
- Go outside with no sunscreen just a few minutes at a time to start, to get skin accustomed to a little more sun. Work your way up to 10-15 minutes at a time with no sunscreen.
- Avoid the sun during peak hours of 10 am to 4 pm (with or without sunscreen).
- If you have to go out in the sun during those hours, wear a mineral sunscreen, sun-protective clothing (including a hat), and go in the shade as much as possible.