Your skin is the body’s largest organ.
Today we are going to talk about your skin and its relationship with the sun. This article will cover tanning myths, types of sun protection, UV Index, and vitamin D. First I want to share with you a math equation:
sun tanning = skin damage
This surprised me to find out. Of course I know getting a sun burn is bad for you and can lead to skin cancer, but isn’t a “healthy” tan a sign of well, health? Turns out, there is no such thing as a “healthy” tan.
I – like many of you – was sold a lie. We were told that tanning is healthy and desirable and were groomed by society to prefer girls with bikini lines while ostracizing pale vampires.
All tanning from sun exposure is actually just the body’s way of protecting itself from additional sun exposure. In the same way when you cut yourself a scab forms to protect your skin and keep out contaminants, when you expose yourself to sun for longer than you are supposed to your body produces melanin which pigments the skin, making it darker in an attempt to protect more sensitive, sub surface skin cells. Have you ever seen a tan dermatologist? Let me know when you find one!
Ok, so how do we know that tanning is a sign of skin damage? I wouldn’t believe it unless science says so, and you shouldn’t either. If you were a skeptic up until now I applaud you. Here is the proof:
- Tanning & Your Skin (The Facts. The Risks. How They Affect You.)
- What Are the Dangers of Outdoor Tanning?
- The Risks of Tanning
- Is there such a thing as a safe suntan?
Types of Sun Protection
UPF Clothing + Hat
Personally, I hate having sunscreen or lotions on my body. It feels sticky and gross so I am glad there is an alternative. UPF clothing is basically clothing that mimics the effects of sunscreen by blocking UVA/UVB radiation from the sun. It’s great because you can dress yourself in the morning and work an entire day without having to reapply sunscreen. For maximum protection, look for a UPF rating of 50 which essentially means the clothing is blocking 98% of UV radiation. That is great coverage. You can find UPF hats, shirts, pants, gloves etc.
You can’t just use any piece of clothing and assume it is going to block sun death rays. I learned that a standard cotton t-shirt has a UPF rating of ~5 which means it only blocks 80% of UV radiation. You might think that is pretty good but it’s not. You can still damage your skin fairly easily with a UPF rating this low. Look for clothing with a UPF rating of at least 30 and preferably 50 if possible.
A wide brim UPF hat is especially important because it keeps the sun off your face, ears and neck which are particularly prone to skin cancers.
If you don’t like reapplying sunscreen, outfit yourself from head to toe with UPF clothing. Here are our recommendations:
- PANTS – Men’s Cargo Pants
Sunscreens
Not all sunscreens are created equal. I recently started using an app called Yuka that scans skincare products and rates them on a scale from 0 to 100. The higher the rating, the healthier the product. Immediately I started scanning everything in my house and found out a couple of my sunscreens scored below 30 points. This is due to harmful, sometimes carcinogenic, chemicals in sunscreen that can disrupt hormones and cause different types of cancer in your body if used over a long period of time. Knowing this, it’s important to use a skin safe sunscreen when applying on a daily basis. I use ThinkKids Sunscreen because it scores the highest for skin health on the Yuka app.
It’s important to note that even if a sunscreen is rated as “unhealthy”, it’s still better to have a suboptimal sunscreen on your body for a day than getting a blistering sunburn. Having 5 or more blistering sunburns before the age of 20 increases your risk of getting melanoma (skin cancer) by 80%. (American Academy of Dermatology)
Eye protection
Your eyes are especially sensitive to UV radiation so it is vital we take precautions to protect them from chronic sun exposure. Medical conditions that can result from unprotected sun exposure to the eyes include:
- Photokeratitis
- Cataracts
- Pterygium (Surfers Eye)
When shopping for sunglasses, look for 100% UV blocking glasses that will give you the best protection. Here are a couple different styles for you to choose from with 100% UV protection:
UV Index
The sun’s intensity and ability to damage your skin changes throughout the day. UV index is a measure of how intense the sun is at any given time. At night, the UV index is 0. During the hottest part of the day – when the sun is directly overhead – the UV index can reach 11+. The higher the UV index, the harsher the sun is at that time. Factors that most affect the UV index are time of day and cloud coverage.
To put this into practical perspective, you might be able to go outside for 30 minutes when the UV index is at 3 without experiencing any negative effects. But if the UV index was at a 9 instead you very well could develop a sun burn with just 30 minutes of exposure.
I use a great app, UV Index, to track the sun’s intensity at my current location. It even has an apple watch complication that makes it easy to check before I head out at any time of the day. Becoming “sun-concious” is the first step towards improving your health and longevity in regards to sun exposure.
Vitamin D
Doesn’t sun exposure help us produce Vitamin D? Yes it does, and limited sun exposure is great for your body and health. About 15-20 minutes of sun exposure 3x a week is recommended to facilitate vitamin D production. You can also get vitamin D from the food you eat and/or supplements which can be just as useful as sun exposure, especially if you are light sensitive. If you are a service provider who works outside for hours a day without sun protection, you are likely getting more sun than optimal.
Conclusion
Direct sun exposure is good in small doses at a moderate UV Index. If you are a service provider or someone who spends all day every day in the sun you are specifically at risk for certain types of cancers and skin conditions. Full coverage with UPF clothing makes it easy to stay protected throughout the day. I highly recommend UPF clothing instead of sunscreen because I have accidentally left my house without sunscreen but I have never left my house without pants.
The best time to start protecting your skin was 10 years ago, the second best time is today. Whether you are young or old please take this information to heart, you won’t regret it.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means some links in this article are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you buy through them (at no extra cost to you.) I only recommend products I personally believe in.
