Sunscreen has recently become quite a controversial topic within the health and wellness space. It can be difficult to feel confident in your sun safety approach with confusing messaging, leaving you with questions: Should I wear sunscreen? If so, which type? How much?
This topic is one I feel will be ever-evolving as we continue to learn more about health and wellness and the human body. I am excited to dive into sun safety from the perspective of a Holistic Nutritionist who sees clients in my practice looking to boost their skin health.
Important: Please check with your regular healthcare provider before changing or adding to any treatment plans you already have in place.
I have seen it all when it comes to sunscreen. From not wearing it at all or using it as “highlighter”, to those who use it daily. Sunscreen can be difficult to wear every day, especially for those sensitive to inflammation, like acne, rosacea, eczema, or dermatitis. Sunscreen has a bad reputation for feeling heavy and greasy, and is a nightmare for those prone to breakouts from pore-clogging ingredients. There are many formulas and options out there to choose from, you just need to find one that works for you. My personal favourites are either a mineral-based SPF or a Korean beauty-based sunscreen.
Sunscreen is an often-overlooked element of daily skincare but is an important step to both protect the skin and support a healthy skin barrier. If you are experiencing any type of irritation like breakouts, dryness, or redness, or have scarring or hyperpigmentation, daily SPF will provide a protective shield and help reduce oxidative and aging sun ray damage—in turn speeding up your skin’s natural healing process. It also prevents sebum oxidation, resulting in fewer acne breakouts. The protective layer that sunscreen provides means that the skin can better retain water, which leads to a stronger skin barrier as well. In my opinion, if you are going to spend money anywhere in your skincare routine, sunscreen will have one of the biggest impacts.
WHEN SHOULD I WEAR SPF?
For best protection on the face, neck, ears, and hands, SPF can be worn daily, rain or shine, indoors or out—keeping in mind that weather, location, and daily activities may dictate how often you need to reapply. For example, you may need to reapply more often when outside on the beach with the mix of sweat, water, and activity in addition to higher sun exposure, compared to when working inside in the winter on your computer. Take into account your skin sensitivity to the sun and do what's best for you to feel safe and protected.
A question I hear frequently: Is the SPF in my moisturizer or makeup enough protection? No. The reason is that one would need to apply an overly generous amount of moisturizer or makeup to get the coverage listed on the bottle. I find it best to have a separate SPF product in addition to moisturizer and makeup.
MINERAL-BASED SUNSCREEN
When choosing sunscreen, always choose something that works for you and a formula that you love so you’ll want to wear it every day. One of my favourites is a mineral-based sunscreen that has ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Zinc is a great ingredient for sensitized acne-prone skin. It works by absorbing into the dermal surface and deflecting the sun's harmful UVB rays.
REMEMBER TO BOOST VITAMIN D
We can’t talk about daily SPF use and leave out this crucial life-giving energy from the sun. Vitamin D is critical for optimal health, especially for people with menstrual cycles. It plays a key role in immunity, inflammation reduction, insulin resistance, and overall hormone and cycle health.
Vitamin D is made in the skin when it’s exposed to sunlight—there’s a reason it’s called the sunshine vitamin. Sun exposure is a natural way to boost your levels, but Vitamin D can also be found in fortified foods and supplements. With this in mind, we can still be mindful of acquiring vitamin D from the sun while protecting sensitive areas of the skin (e.g., face, head, neck, ears, and chest) with SPF, hats and clothing by just being outdoors.2 Spending time outdoors exposing areas of the skin without sunscreen to boost vitamin D is okay, provided you do so without burning. Applying sunscreen before you burn is key. Always do what’s best for you and your health, and keep in mind how sensitive you are to the sun. Typically for fair complexions, somewhere around 10-30 minutes of exposure should suffice, and perhaps a bit longer for individuals with darker complexions.3 Keep in mind these approximate times will vary depending on the time of day you expose your skin, and your skin sensitivity.
People who live in northern climates typically have difficulty absorbing vitamin D from sunlight, especially during the winter months. This is when supplements and food sources are beneficial. It’s important to understand that too much vitamin D is not a good thing; I typically recommend having Vitamin D levels checked and then supplementing these levels according to specific needs.
Careful and consistent skincare can help you reach your skin goals. For best results, I always recommend exploring a holistic approach that addresses your overall health, including your nutrition, hormones, digestion, detoxification, stress, and mindset. Nurturing your skin from the inside out will offer the best results, so get your body in balance, grab those foundational skincare products, and glowing skin will follow.
