08/30/2025
It's a controversial opinion as an esthetician of 20 years, but if you ALWAYS put on sunscreen head to toe, you are blocking the body's mechanism to make Vitamin D naturally through the skin, which plays a critical role in hormone-regulation, sleep cycles, skin cell growth and repair.
Without adequate levels of Vitamin D, conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne can worsen. It can also affect autoimmune conditions, skin aging, and hair loss. Optimizing your Vitamin D levels is essential for healthy bones, a strong immune system, a happy mood, and healthy skin.
Now, I'm not saying don't wear sunblock! I love mineral SPF - it's an important tool to protect the skin from long-term sun exposure and the damage that can occur.
But I do let my skin see the sun, without any SPF, in low UV conditions like early morning or early evening, never enough to burn, but for at least 10 minutes for my health and vitality.
Importantly, in conjunction with this, I optimize my Vitamin A levels. Vitamin A protects the body and skin from long-term sun damage. In fact, certain types of Vitamin A, such as retinyl palmitate, accumulate in the skin and act as a natural sunblock within the skin.
Depending on where you live or the season, it can be more difficult to get natural Vitamin D exposure, so I also eat plentiful Vitamin D and Vitamin A-rich foods year-round, like raw cheese, butter, eggs, wild salmon and mackerel, other fatty fish, and colorful fruits and vegetables.
