Summer is rapidly approaching and it’s time to shed the winter sweaters and show some skin! I don’t know about you but at the beginning of the spring/summer season I get a little bit shy the first time I wear a sleeveless shirt or a non-maxi dress. I feel exposed! Nothing like a nice tan can shake this feeling and give me confidence!
Hold up! I can hear you all now screaming at me about tanning! It’s a very controversial subject, especially in my line of work, but I’m going to take a side on this one-Tanning is beneficial for your bod when done in moderation. Period.
Let me preface this post by saying I am pretty fair. I burn easily and freckled as a kid. I have an average amount of sun damage that showed up in my late 20’s. I never get dark, but I can turn lily white legs into medium tanned legs over a period of time. So, I’m not the most sun sensitive person out there but I’m not savagely bronzed either.
I have always loved a tan. I swear, if you ever meet me and feel like comparing your super tan arm to my white arm, I might deck you. Sorry, but this happened over and over during my school days and I HATED it! I never quite understood the art of balance when it came to tanning. I would badly burn one time at the beginning of summer then hide from the sun the rest of the season-and we had a pool! I’m really chasing rabbits here-My point is, if you spend small increments of time in the sun you can gradually get a healthy gorgeous tan while benefiting your body from the inside out!
There’s no instant gratification here folks. But, there’s also not tons of sun damage, painful sunburns and dry, parched skin. Sunlight is so beneficial to your body as a whole. Vitamin D is what our body makes when sunshine hits our skin. Vitamin D is not the only reason we benefit from the sun. The skin responds to the sun in many positive ways!
The Benefits of Vitamin D:
- Vitamin D protects from illnesses such as the flu.
- Vitamin D triggers the body to produce serotonin, a hormone that helps us feel content. HAPPY!
- Vitamin D also triggers the hormone that tells us when we are full!! Love that one!
- Sunlight can decrease fibromyalgia pain.
- Sunshine regulates body temperature.
- Sunshine can ease symptoms of dermatitis and psoriasis.
- Natural light can sterilize armpits for odor illumination!! (i thought you’d like that one!)
- Sunlight causes the body to release endorphins-More HAPPY!
As you can see, sunlight is so healthy and important. Like all things, especially in nature, there must be a balance.
I believe 10-20 minutes of sunlight a day without a sunblock is a very healthy, steady way to improve your health while getting some color. Sunblock actually blocks our bodies ability to convert sunlight into Vitamin D. I believe no sunblock is OK for 20 minutes at most. I don’t expose my face, ever. Most of the time I leave my face and chest under an umbrella or hat.
Ugly sun spots and a saggy, leathery chest are just too easy to get once you’re out of your 20’s. I prefer to get my 20 around 10:30-11:00ish or around 3-4ish. In my part of the world, the sun is it’s strongest from noon-2. You will have to decide for yourself what your ideal tanning time is.
If you are extremely sensitive to burning obviously practice great caution even with 10-20 minutes. Only you know what is best for your body. Sunblock does block your body from producing Vitamin D, but a sunburn is much worse then low levels of vitamin D. There are always supplements!
Read THIS if you’d like even more encouragement to get outside and info. on Vitamin D benefits!
So, get out and enjoy the summer! Always remember to put on a healthy sunblock once you’ve hit 20 minutes or notice any burning whatsoever, and take my advice and cover that face!!
xx, Jenni
Hello Jenni!
I discovered your blog through Primally Inspired and your beauty advice is now one of my favs. I have been learning about the natural side and making my own for the last few years. I work nights, am very white with freckles… and I burn easily too. I am also extremely sensitive to the sun, so I purposely avoid it as much as possible. I live across from a park filled with trees. Do you think if I did the 20 minutes of sun time in the shade, will it still be beneficial? I sleep during the day. Been on nights for my entire adult years. I think I might try waking up early and start chilling in the park for 20 minutes or so. It would be a great, relaxing start to the day… let me know if you think it’s worth it, as direct sunlight is just too strong for me even with sunblock. But the natural vitamin D, and all the benefits in your list seem awesome! Thanks! 🙂
Angelique-Thanks so much!!! I would get out and go to the park-Indirect sunlight is very healthy and will benefit you greatly! Be sure you look into a Vitamin D supplement too!
There’s a cool app called d-minder that can tell you, by your location, when is the optimal time to be outside to soak up some D. It’s pretty cool actually.
Jennifer-Thanks for sharing! I had heard of the app but didn’t know the name!! Thanks!!
Another benefit of regular sun exposure (especially to the chest) is that it resets your “body clock.” After years of over the counter and prescription sleep aids for persistent insomnia, my husband was able to get completely off pills by spending 20 minutes exposing his chest to the sun every day. After a few weeks, he could cut back to a couple times a week, but what a difference it has made!
Peggy-SO INTERESTING!! Thanks for sharing! I’m passing that on to my husband!