Studies have shown that a sensible amount of sun actually reduces your risk of several cancers and other serious health conditions. It’s all thanks to vitamin D, made by our bodies as a result of our skin’s absorption of the sun’s UVB rays. Most of us get about 90 per cent of our vitamin D from the sun – even in Winter time!
But, too much of a good thing is definitely not good for us. While we cannot live without sun, it is, by far, the worst enemy of our skin. In excess amounts, sunlight creates free radicals, which cause cell damage, eventually leading to very serious skin damage, premature aging, and skin cancer.
It’s all about the rays
The sun emits three kinds of ultraviolet (UV) rays: UVC, UVB, and UVA. UVC rays are short rays that are, thankfully, blocked by the ozone layer, and in large doses are deadly to all live creatures because of their germicidal properties. UVB rays are the next longest UV rays. These are the rays that, in excess amounts, contribute to most skin cancers and are responsible for sunburns. UVB are much stronger than UVA rays, which are the longest rays, and responsible for damage of precious collagen and elastin fibrils causing skin to age prematurely.