A balanced approach to sun exposure this summer
4 Jan 2013

A balanced approach to sun exposure this summer

1 mins to read
The sun is out, the summer is here. Naturopath Danielle Steedman contemplates how to approach her sun exposure this summer.


I am a sun lover. I find there is nothing nicer than the feel of the sun on my skin, preferably while I am on the beach but pretty much anywhere in the great outdoors is fine. Alas, years of over indulging in my teens and twenties have left my skin a little worse for wear so I am trying to be much more sensible nowadays. And I now have another good motivation for sun safety as my little boy has skin the colour of untouched snow, literally. 

I have a friend with beautiful, ageless skin, due largely to her very strict avoidance of the sun, for the most part of the day. She is very fair, and instead of fighting her natural colouring she has embraced it and is now enjoying the benefits of youthful, undamaged skin.

So, how do you balance a love of the sun with a more sensible approach? How much sun is enough in order to get adequate exposure for sufficient vitamin D without risking skin damage? 

For me, I’m trying for a moderate approach. Now at the beach you can pick me as the one with the large straw hat, and the long sleeved cotton top, complete with beach umbrella and layers of sunscreen. It may not be as nice as soaking up the rays unobstructed but at least I still get to enjoy the great outdoors, and hopefully my skin will thank me for it in years to come.

I have also downloaded a UV alert onto my smart phone, as a reminder that UV exposure can still be high on overcast or cloudy days. However this doesn’t change much, as official recommendations from the Cancer Council are to avoid sun exposure from 10 am – 3 pm when UV levels are at their peak.

How do you plan to deal with sun exposure this summer? Total avoidance? Moderate exposure? Heading out armed with sun cream, umbrella, hat, sunnies and shirt? Or a devil may care you like a tan no matter what the cost? Or do you prefer to fake it?

References available on request



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