Vitamin D And Skin Care

There seems to be a contradiction between obtaining vitamin D and skin care, since for the former we need the sun and for the latter we must protect ourselves of this. Taking the necessary precautions, there does not have to be an incompatibility between one and the other.

Sometimes biology puts us in paradoxical situations, in which two realities are in contradiction. This is, more or less, what happens with vitamin D and skin care. It seems that they are two mutually exclusive factors, but they are not.

Remember that, in general, our body cannot produce most vitamins on its own. We obtain them mainly from food and thus we integrate them into our body. However, vitamin D is a wonderful exception to this rule.

Our body is capable of producing this vitamin, but to do so it needs the sun. That is, if we do not expose ourselves to the sun, it will not be possible for the body to generate this nutrient. That’s where the paradox comes in: Vitamin D and skin care would seem to go the opposite way.

Vitamin D

For some experts, vitamin D should not be considered as a vitamin, but as a hormone, since all its mechanisms of action are adjusted to this type of compound. In fact, it is not a substance foreign to the body.

Be that as it may, the truth is that this vitamin is essential to maintain good health. In particular, it helps the body absorb calcium, an essential component for healthy bones. Likewise, it affects the good condition of the muscles and the functioning of the nervous and immune system.

There are few foods that naturally contain this vitamin. Basically, it is in fatty fish and in a small amount in beef liver, cheese, egg yolk and mushrooms. The point is that we obtain 90% of this nutrient thanks to sun exposure. That is why it is necessary to reconcile vitamin D production and skin care.

Vitamin D and skin care

Our body produces vitamin D when we are directly exposed to the sun. The word “directly” must be emphasized, since sunbathing indoors, going out on cloudy days or looking for shade are situations that significantly reduce the body’s possibilities to produce this nutrient.

On the other hand, most of us know that direct and frequent exposure to the sun is one of the main causes of skin cancer. For this reason, everywhere we find recommendations that call us to avoid the sun to maintain good dermatological health.

In order to reconcile the production of vitamin D and the care of the skin, what should be done is to sunbathe in moderation and with the appropriate precautions. The following recommendations should be taken into account:

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is advisable to take 10 to 15 minutes of sun each week, during the summer and spring seasons.

• If you sunbathe longer, it is recommended to use sunscreen. This reduces the effect of UVA rays and, therefore, reduces the production of vitamin D, but at the same time counteracts the risk of skin pathologies.
• From the age of 50, the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D deteriorates. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the consumption of foods that contain this nutrient and sunbathe following the recommendations already noted.
• In times or countries with more solar intensity, it is best to take those small sun baths at the first or last hour of the day, to prevent risks.
• If we are going to expose ourselves directly to the sun for long periods of time, at least we must use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) 8.

Vitamin D deficiency

If we don’t get enough vitamin D, various health problems can appear. The deficiency of this nutrient is mainly due to the lack of direct exposure to the sun. It also occurs because we do not eat enough food with this vitamin, or because our kidneys do not process it properly.

When there is a deficiency of vitamin D, the absorption of calcium is impaired and this affects the health of our bones. Rickets, a disease in which bones become weak and deformed, can occur in children. Osteomalacia occurs in adults, a pathology that manifests itself with pain in muscles and bones.

It is worth bearing in mind that we need to expose ourselves directly to the sun from time to time, for brief moments and taking adequate precautions. Vitamin D and skin care are not incompatible, but they do require care and protection measures.