Sun & Light Series: Part III - How to Use the Sun the Right Way
- Part I - How Light Dictates The Way Our Bodies Function
- Part II - Artificial Lights Are Destroying Our Eyes, Skin and Health
- Part III - How to Use the Sun the Right Way
Welcome to Part III of the Sun & Light Series. We’ve been told to fear the sun — cover up, avoid it, and slather on sunscreen. The truth? The problem isn’t the sun itself — it’s our modern-day relationship with it. In Part III, we’ll learn how to use the sun the right way — to soak up all the benefits, without the sunburn or health risks.
(Missed earlier parts? Part I explains how light tells our bodies what to do, and Part II reveals how artificial lights silently harm our health.)
Table Of Contents
- The Sun Is Not The enemy
- Sunlight: Rays That Repair, Rays That Damage
- Why You Need a Little Sun Damage (Yes, Really)
- Why Skin Cancer Rates Are Soaring
- Practical Tips For Building Sun Tolerance
- Wrapping Up
The Sun Is Not The Enemy
The logic sounds straightforward: less sun, more protection, less risk. Yet the data tells a different story. Let’s break down the surprising trends: 1. Sun exposure is decreasing (see study)
2. Sunscreen use is increasing (see study)
3. Yet skin cancer (melanoma) rates are soaring (see study)
Looking at these numbers, it’s hard not to wonder: is the sun really to blame, or is there something else we’re missing?
Sunlight: Rays That Repair, Rays That Damage
Depending on the time of the day, different rays of light are present which affect our skin and body differently. We’ll focus on stressor wavelengths and regenerative wavelengths.
The sun rises
Regenerative Lights: During early morning and late evening, the sunlight is primarily red and infrared light — they heal and repair your skin
Stressor Lights: during the daytime (especially midday), UVB, UVA, and blue light are present — they stress and damage your skin, but also come with essential health benefits (vitamin D, hormone regulation, blood flow support, etc)
Why You Need a Little Sun Damage (Yes, Really)
What is Hormetic Stress? Hormetic stress is when your body faces a brief, intentional stress—like a tough gym session, an ice bath, or a dose of midday UV from the sun. This kind of stress prompts your body to repair, adapt, and get stronger. Common examples: exercise, sauna, cold exposure, fasting, and UV sunlight.
Hormetic Stress - UV from the Sun: Lifting weights: Stresses your muscles, causing tiny micro-tears. This “damage” is essential—it tells your body to start repairing and adapting. This is hormetic stress, and the same concept applies to sunlight Sunlight: UVB and UVA rays stress your skin, causing mild damage. This triggers your skin to adapt and build natural protection (your tan). The stress is only half the picture — it’s the stimulus for growth and adaptation.
The other half of the picture is recovery. Just as muscles need rest and nutrition to repair and adapt after a workout, your skin needs red and infrared light to repair and adapt after UV exposure. Without this repair stage, you’re accumulating skin damage without any opportunity for healing.
Why Skin Cancer Rates Are Soaring
Nowadays, most of us live almost entirely indoors — 86.9% of our day inside, and only 7.6% outside. For many, the only sun they see is the quick trip from the car to the building and back.
Consider how most people use the sun…
- Mostly indoor living, accumulating damage: Artificial lights and sunlight through glass both damage and weaken skin (link 1, link 2)
- Peak UV exposure: Only going outdoors in the middle of the day — exposing their fragile skin to strong UV, accumulating further damage, without repair.
- Sunny vacations: Going from very little sun all year, to hours of daily sunshine in a short period can amass significant levels of skin damage, if their skin hasn’t acclimated.
These habits are akin to going from zero experience in the gym, to jumping straight into lifting the heaviest weights daily—sooner or later, an injury will occur. For your skin, the “injury” is wrinkles, sun damage, or even skin cancer. This is why we’re seeing skin cancer rates soar. It’s our unnatural relationship with the sun and indoor lifestyles that’s the problem - not the sun itself.
Practical Tips For Building Sun Tolerance
The sun’s schedule for UVA, UVB, red and infrared light are different depending on location and time of the year. You can check the sun’s schedule for your area using:
/w=3840,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
_copy/w=3840,quality=90,fit=scale-down)
There are two key periods to focus on:
- The protection & repair window
- The stress & benefits window
Did you know? Morning sunlight preconditions and protects the skin, to the equivalent of SPF-15 against UV (see study)
If you can’t get sunlight during the protection & repair window, using a red light therapy device is an effective alternative. Some good brands (no affiliation):
Be mindful of UV levels, how much you can tolerate and for how long depends on your skin color, how long you’ve been acclimating your skin to higher UV for, time of the day, weather, location, and time of the year. Check the UV levels in your area with:
Care Tips For Midday UV Exposure:
- UV Strength & Time: Lower UV (early/late day) allows longer exposure; higher UV (near solar noon) requires shorter exposure until skin adapts.
- Build Gradually: Start with short exposures, especially if pale. Slowly increase duration as skin builds tolerance to higher UV times.
- If Skin Goes Pink/Discomfort → cover up or seek shade
- Avoid Sunscreen: Sunscreen blocks UVA and UVB, preventing hormetic stress and health benefits. Opt for umbrella, hat, clothing, fabrics or shade instead. Note: Some situations will require sunscreen → use a mineral based zinc oxide one.
Wrapping Up
It’s time we rethink the sun — not as the enemy, but as a vital part of our health that we’ve misunderstood. Our ancestors didn’t have to worry about the sun, because their lifestyle naturally revolved around being outdoors often. They naturally got the morning and late evening sun for protection & repair, and the midday sun for hormetic stress. Additionally, their indoor environment used candles or incandescent lightbulbs, which have a natural light profile that doesn’t damage the skin. In Part IV, which will be the final part in this Sun & Light Series, we’ll be looking how sunscreen and sunglasses impacts our health.
Related Posts
On this page