Summer Skin Care
Photo by Tara Winstead
Should you protect your skin from the sun?
It depends. Yes, all animals and plants need some protection from the sun; if not for our atmosphere’s shields, there’d be no life on Earth. But, I’m reticent to say yes, you do need protection, because people tend to be alarmists and to overreact. In any given situation, the type of sunlight, the length of time you’re in the sun, your genetics, your nutritional status, and your overall health should dictate whether or not you protect your skin and how.
The American Academy of Dermatology claims, “No one knows your skin better than a board-certified dermatologist.” BS. No one knows your skin better than YOU. After all, you’re living in it.
What are the benefits of sunlight on bare skin?
When your bare skin is exposed to the sun, you make the hormone vitamin D. Yes, you read that right. Vitamin D is a hormone. It regulates gene expression and is essential for a functional immune system and healthy bones. While you can get vitamin D from food, your skin will make it for you, if you have the necessary building blocks in your system and you’re exposed to enough UV light. Chemical structure and concentration influence the bioavailability and efficacy of a nutrient to effect changes in your body. You can supplement and eat vitamin D-fortified foods, but the form found in supplements and fortified foods isn't as effective as the form of vitamin D made by your skin. Your skin can’t make vitamin D if it’s covered in sunscreen or sunblock, because these products defend your skin from UV light.
The warmth of the sun comes from infrared light, which also is good for your skin. Near-infrared light penetrates your skin's outermost layer, the epidermis, to remove dead skin cells, oils, dirt, and bacteria. This range of light stimulates collagen and elastin production, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also promotes skin renewal, cell health, and tissue growth. Mid-infrared light penetrates deeper into the body's soft tissue, where inflammation occurs. It stimulates your cardiovascular system, helps dilate blood vessels, and increases circulation so more oxygen can reach injured areas of the body. Far infrared light stimulates sweat glands through direct heat, and sweating is one of the ways we expel toxins from our bodies.
A tan is a sign your skin has been injured.
Sunburn means you’ve been severely injured.
UV radiation on and in the skin generates free radicals and reactive oxygen species that damage DNA, proteins, and lipids. UV light damage is an injury that triggers an inflammatory response that’s systemic; it affects your entire body, not just your skin. So, if you already have chronic inflammation, you’ll be more sensitive to sun exposure, like most people with Sjogren’s (SHOW-grins) and other autoimmune diseases (especially if you are SSA+).
How do antioxidants protect your skin?
Antioxidants are one of the building blocks your body uses to function, repair, and grow. Antioxidants present on and in your skin protect your skin cells by absorbing and transforming UV light. They also help repair damage and make you and your skin more resilient to future damage.
Eating a variety of nutrient-dense whole foods ensures that your body has adequate levels of the antioxidants it needs in the right structural forms and concentrations. Since your skin, like your gut, is an absorptive organ, you can also provide it the antioxidants it needs by feeding your skin from the outside in.
Don’t use skincare products filled with synthetic antioxidants, such as vitamin C serums and, particularly, retinol creams. If you’d like to know why, watch my online presentation, “Nutrition and the Gut-Skin Connection”, at the 3rd Annual Virtual Sjogren’s Summit on 7/20/24. Visit www.sjogrenssummit.com to register for a FREE ticket.
What’s the difference between sunblock and sunscreen?
Sunblock and sunscreen are drugs formulated to prevent UV light from hitting your skin, damaging it, and increasing inflammation and your risk of skin cancer.
Sunblock (physical sunscreen) works like a shield. It contains mineral ingredients (e.g., zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) that sit on the skin’s surface, reflecting UV rays away from your skin.
Sunscreen (chemical sunscreen) works like a sponge. It contains chemicals (e.g., oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, etc…) that may be absorbed into your skin to prevent UV radiation from penetrating the skin. Some of these chemicals have data showing that they are endocrine disruptors, are associated with immunotoxicity and allergies, and/or cause neurological effects. In addition, oxybenzone has been banned in parts of the US and elsewhere because it damages coral reefs.
How do you protect your skin from the sun?
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, these steps will protect your skin from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays and reduce your risk of skin cancer:
“Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.
Wear sun-protective clothing, such as a lightweight and long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection, when possible. For more effective sun protection, select clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) label.
Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Broad-spectrum sunscreen provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays. When outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.
Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand, as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.”
I would add another guideline. As with anything else you put in or on your body, be careful with sunscreen. In July, 2021 Johnson & Johnson recalled specific Neutrogena and Aveeno Aerosol Sunscreen products because they contained benzene. In July, 2022, and then again in January, 2023, Edgewell Personal Care Company voluntarily recalled batches of their Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 because they, too, contained benzene. (“Benzene In Sunscreen”)
Beyond following sensible guidelines, build your skin’s resiliency and ability to thrive in the sun. Instead of shunning the sun or relying on slapdash palliatives, know what you’re putting on your skin. (Read “How To Read An Ingredient List And Why It Matters”, May 12, 2024, and “Choosing Skincare For Health” February 10, 2023.) Feed your skin from the outside in and feed your skin from the inside out. Equip your body with the building blocks it needs to function, repair, grow, and revitalise. Eat a diverse array of whole foods rich in antioxidants; fresh and dried herbs are a good place to start. Stay hydrated and eat raw, juicy vegetables every day.
And, in the apocryphal words of Kurt Vonnegut, “Trust me on the sunscreen.”