Does sunscreen block vitamin D absorption?
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Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:56 am

Hi,

Does sunscreen block vitamin D absorbsion or does it allow some?

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:15 am

I believe that it does, but I guess that that would also depend on the SPF.

That's why some recommend applying sunscreen after a few minutes of sun exposure.

FYI, darker-skinned people make less vitamin D in the sun because the melanin in their skin acts as an SPF. Overweight people also tend to have lower vitamin D levels.

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:28 am

We don't absorb vitamin D from the sun, the UV rays help us synthesise it. Yes sunscreen prevents or reduces that, so it is important to get a little daylight or eat plenty of vitamin D rich foods such as oily fish. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:51 am

yes. as does clothing. In the USA, the medical establisment has decided the former vit d range is too low so the guidelines are higher now. Most people in the northern half of the US are now deficient. Take a suppliment and you should be fine.

My allergist told me to take 2000 IUs daily and my asthma and allergies should improve. We will see!

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:04 pm

Instead of D, I take D3 which has a lot of health benefits (http://www.vrp.com/bone-and-joint/vitamin-d3-higher-doses-reduce-risk-of-common-health-concerns). The Vitamin Shoppe has a liquid version of it and one drop in a drink provides 1000 IU. You can also get Calcium with 1000IU of D3 which is a good combo since they work together.

free skin care · Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:53 pm

SkinAndBeauty wrote:

Does sunscreen block vitamin D absorbsion or does it allow some?

Found this the other day from a good overview of sunscreen research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen

Hope it helps in some way

"Vitamin D
Artificial sunscreen absorbs ultraviolet light and prevents it from reaching the skin. It has been reported that sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 based on the UVB spectrum can decrease vitamin D synthetic capacity by 95 percent, whereas sunscreen with an SPF of 15 can reduce synthetic capacity by 98 percent (Matsuoka et al., 1987).[45] Natural sunscreen has been proved to improve pigmentation from sun tanning.[citation needed]

This was leading to deficiency in Australia after a government campaign to increase sunscreen use.[46] Doctors recommend spending small amounts of time in the sun without sun protection to ensure adequate production of vitamin D.[47] When the UV index is greater than 3 (which occurs daily within the tropics and daily during the spring and summer seasons in temperate regions) adequate amounts of vitamin D3 can be made in the skin after only ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen. With longer exposure to UVB rays, an equilibrium is achieved in the skin, and the vitamin simply degrades as fast as it is generated.[48]"

free skin care · Tue Jul 24, 2012 2:56 am

Please don't supplement individual nutrients without the advice of a suitably qualified health professional. Micronutrients work synergistically and in opposition, supplementing individually or in small groups can do more harm than good. If you don't feel you are getting enough sun exposure or your diet is not optimal consider a good quality multivitamin/ mineral.

free skin care · Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:36 pm

Did you know that certain mushrooms contain vitamin D?

There's even a brand of mushrooms, called Sun Bella, that contain 100 of the recommend daily intake of vitamin D.

It turns out that, when you expose them to UV, they begin to tan and make vitamin D, just as humans do.

free skin care · Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:46 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

Please don't supplement individual nutrients without the advice of a suitably qualified health professional. Micronutrients work synergistically and in opposition, supplementing individually or in small groups can do more harm than good. If you don't feel you are getting enough sun exposure or your diet is not optimal consider a good quality multivitamin/ mineral.

Firefox7275, I would love to know what you eat. (Could you share some recipes?) It's so hard to get vitamin D from foods, and sunshine is unreliable source of it. Furthermore, multivitamins typically don't contain much vitamin D (although that may soon change), and very few foods contain it. For these reasons, some people feel compelled to take it individually.

free skin care · Sun Jul 29, 2012 8:48 am

VeronicaM wrote:

Firefox7275 wrote:

Please don't supplement individual nutrients without the advice of a suitably qualified health professional. Micronutrients work synergistically and in opposition, supplementing individually or in small groups can do more harm than good. If you don't feel you are getting enough sun exposure or your diet is not optimal consider a good quality multivitamin/ mineral.

Firefox7275, I would love to know what you eat. (Could you share some recipes?) It's so hard to get vitamin D from foods, and sunshine is unreliable source of it. Furthermore, multivitamins typically don't contain much vitamin D (although that may soon change), and very few foods contain it. For these reasons, some people feel compelled to take it individually.

Hey VeronicaM,

You can get higher IU formulations of vitamin D, it's just that they are harder to find in stores.

Vitamin D is very difficult to get in sufficient amounts from foods, which is why many Vitamin D experts rank it as the third best option, lagging far behind sun exposure and supplementation, which are the best sources. And btw, it seems that increasingly, vitamin D experts suggest that the recommended allowance be raised to at least 800-1000+ IU, so I would advise you not to try to get vitamin D from foods.

I either supplement with vitamin D (5000 IU; vegan vitamin D3; http://www.vitashine-d3.com/about.html) or follow Dr. Michael Holick's sun tables that tell you how much sun you need to make enough vitamin D ("The UV Advantage" by Dr. Michael Holick). Are you located in the U.S. or elsewhere?

free skin care · Wed Aug 01, 2012 3:21 pm

Yes of course and vitamind D levels are important and I take vit D pills.

However! Is it really important to be absorbing UV rays through our faces? The surface area of a face is about half a thigh. So my strategy is to absorb UV's by exposing my legs to the sun- that's already more sun than someone that doesn't wear any sunscreen in the winter is absorbing.

free skin care · Sun Aug 05, 2012 7:50 am

Nimue wrote:

Yes of course and vitamind D levels are important and I take vit D pills.

However! Is it really important to be absorbing UV rays through our faces? The surface area of a face is about half a thigh. So my strategy is to absorb UV's by exposing my legs to the sun- that's already more sun than someone that doesn't wear any sunscreen in the winter is absorbing.

No, you don't have to expose your face (and it is probably better not too!). Dr. Hollick says that you need to expose 25% of your body's surface area to the sun for the time periods that he recommends in his sun tables. So arms plus legs would work. I just sun in my bikini (about 50% of skin exposed) for about half the time he recommends. Then I apply aloe after sunning.

free skin care · Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:17 pm

I take 2000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. The only sun I get is going back and forth from building or home to the care. Sometimes I run outdoors. Trouble is, I burn very easy even with the use of sunscreen. Therefore, I'm not going to damage my skin to ensure vitamin D is absorbed. I'd rather have my levels checked at the doctor to ensure that it is being absorbed. The levels are not low so its being absorbed despite my sun avoidance and dilligent use of sunscreen.

free skin care · Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:22 pm

Cat_eyes,

What brand of vitamin D do you take?

Also, what do you think of cod liver oil?

free skin care · Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:07 pm

cm5597 wrote:

No, you don't have to expose your face (and it is probably better not too!). Dr. Hollick says that you need to expose 25% of your body's surface area to the sun for the time periods that he recommends in his sun tables. So arms plus legs would work. I just sun in my bikini (about 50% of skin exposed) for about half the time he recommends. Then I apply aloe after sunning.

I wouldn't recommend exposing your arms on purpose, sun damage can accumulate on the arms (after face, neck, shoulders/upper back. chest and tops of feet). I try to wear sunscreen on my arms most days in the summer but I'm not as strict with it as say the face and chest.

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