Is More Sun Exposure Healthier for Our Skin?

A new body of research is indicating that it’s exactly those short-term periods of sun exposure that do our bodies the most good.

This idea is actually not totally new. Have you ever heard someone talking about working on their “base tan?” The idea that getting a tan at the beginning of summer prevents burns for the rest of the season may not be a crazy 1970s misconception at all!

Just like other animals, humans have evolved to adapt to weather, and under normal conditions our skin should be darker in summer and lighter in the winter. That “base” tan is caused when melanin moves toward the skin’s surface in response to sun exposure. It’s like natural sunscreen. 

The Australian government is taking this research seriously, recommending daily sun exposure as part of a healthy routine. The campaign is part of their SunSmart program. Australian doctors are even recommending sun exposure to patients, especially dark-skinned patients.

Sun Exposure and Vitamin D

Our bodies are able to produce vitamin D from sunlight, which is why it’s called the sunshine vitamin. The darker your skin, though, the less able your body to absorb vitamin D. Melanin actually slows vitamin D exposure, which means the darker your skin, the more sun you need.

 American doctors shy away from giving complexion-based skin health advice, because race is a particularly touchy subject here in the U.S. Doctors here just don’t want to talk about it. 

While Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. are taking this balanced approach to sun exposure – some, but not too much – U.S. doctors still tend to recommend slathering on the sunscreen no matter what.

In 2004 vitamin D researcher Michael Holick lost his job at Boston University Medical School because he recommended 5-10 minutes of direct sun per day in his book The UV Advantage. If you’re wary about holding back some on the sunscreen, that book looks like a good starting place.

If you’re in Australia, you can use the SunSmart Vitamin D tracker tool to see how long you should be out. You choose your region and skin type, and how long you have spent in the sun so far today. It tells you how much sun exposure you need to hit your vitamin D targets.

How much sun you need depends on how strong the sun is and on your complexion. Areas closer to the equator, for example, get more direct sunlight, which means you’re exposed to more UV rays in a shorter period of time. There also tends to be more UV radiation during summer months versus winter. If you’re a natural blond or redhead with very pale skin, you might need only a few minutes of sun per day, where someone with an olive complexion or darker skin may need more.