30 TopSanté Facebook.com/ TopSanteMagazine @ TopS a n t eUK
a lITTle goeS a long way
‘Around 80-85 per cent of your vitamin D
production comes from being in direct
sunlight,’ explains Professor Antony Young,
spokesperson for British Association of
Dermatologists (BAD) who has been studying
the relationship between vitamin D synthesis
and the use of SPF for many years. ‘Due to
our climate, many people in the UK are
vitamin D deficient, and although it depends
on your skin type, a small amount of
unprotected exposure to the sun can help
keep your vitamin D levels topped up.’
But before you chuck out your suncream
altogether and hit the nearest sunlounger,
Professor Young stresses this isn’t a carte
blanche excuse to never wear sunscreen
again. ‘You actually need a lot less UV
exposure to create vitamin D than you think,’
he says, suggesting just 10 minutes of
unprotected exposure a day, which he says is
enough for all skin types. ‘The exposure
needs to be in the middle of the day when
UVB is strongest, enabling your body to
synthesise enough vitamin D. Bare your
arms, legs, face and hands,’ he says. It’s vital,
however, to get to know your own limits, as
getting burnt is an absolute no-no.
Despite this guidance to get some sun,
Professor Young is one of a number of
researchers who are proving that wearing SPF
is not actually a hindrance to vitamin D
synthesis as many have thought. Three
separate British Journal of Dermatology studies
concluded that using sunscreen does not
impact vitamin D levels in most people.
‘Sunscreens can prevent sunburn and skin
cancer but there has been a lot of uncertainty
about the effects of it on vitamin D,’ he says.
‘Our study, during a week of perfect weather
in Tenerife, showed that sunscreens, even
when used optimally to prevent sunburn,
allowed excellent vitamin D synthesis.’
Know yoUr SKIn
While this is great news for the sunscreen
industry, is our use of these products giving
us a false sense of security about how long we
can sunbathe? One thing the experts agree on
is knowing your skin. If you burn easily, it’s
not advisable to spend the entire day in the
sun, even if you have applied high-level
protection. ‘Care must be taken to avoid
excessive sun exposure, which can result in
sunburn and other skin problems including
cancers,’ says Colin Cable PhD, assistant chief
scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
‘A golf ball-sized amount of sunscreen should
be applied to your body at least every two
hours to get the protection level stated on the
label. But sunscreens should never be used
as the only protection, and especially not
during the hottest parts of the day, when
exposure should be minimised by staying in
the shade and covering up with a hat, T-shirt
and glasses.’whaT’S In The boTTle?
Sunscreens come in two styles: chemical and
physical. Chemical filters create a chemical
reaction that absorbs UVA and UVB rays then
turns them into heat, releasing this heat from
your skin so it’s not absorbed. Physical filters
work differently in that they create a barrier
so the UV rays bounce off. ‘With physical
filters, the disadvantage can be that your skin
is coated in a layer of product and very
sensitive skin, especially when exposed to the
sun, can react in the form of prickly heat,’
says suncare expert and Ultrasun Founder,DiD you know...
prickly heat is not
caused by heat
alone? ‘it’s your
skin’s way of telling
you it’s in trauma,’
says abi cleeve.
‘when over-
exposed to uVa,
particularly on parts
of the body with
low fat-to-bone
ratio, your skin
“puffs up” as it tries
to create a larger
surface area to
absorb the rays.’ on
holiday, give your
skin time to adjust
to uV by using high
protection and
having regular
shade breaks.