Is it Possible to Use Too Much Sunscreen?

Sunscreen is one of the most popular of all the health and beauty products.  With the damage from sunlight known to include rapid aging of the skin, problems with the eyes and even fatal conditions such as melanoma, sunscreen is flying off the drugstore shelves. 

The usual advice with sunscreen is to put on as much as you can.  This may not be the best way to use sunscreen, however.  Your body needs a certain amount of sun to produce vitamin D.  Though there are plenty of sources of vitamin D in food, including milk with vitamin D added, sunscreen can potentially diminish the effects of sun on your skin enough to create problems. 

Sunscreen also has one very important danger that people have to watch out for: a false sense of security.  Not all sunscreen is formulated the same way, and many of them don’t provide the protection the label implies.  Sunscreen is also easy to sweat off and, if you’re swimming, it’s only a matter of time before it’s washed off your skin – sometimes within minutes. 

Wear moderate amounts of sunscreen, but rely on hats and long sleeves to protect your skin.  Unlike sunscreen, hats and shirts also provide physical barriers against the sun, which can increase comfort.  They also absorb sweat, which helps your body wick away heat.

Sunscreen is definitely a needed protection, especially for children.  Make sure that you get some healthy, moderate levels of sun every day, however.  As is the case with many things, sunlight is all about moderation, not complete avoidance.