@samanthaschneidermd ☀️Do you really need sun exposure for vitamin D? Let’s break it down! 🧐 Sunscreen has been accused of blocking vitamin D production - but studies show that in real life, it doesn’t actually lower vitamin D levels. Why? Most people don’t apply enough SPF, and when we wear sunscreen, we tend to spend more time outdoors. Plus, the same UV rays that make Vitamin D also cause sunburn and skin cancer - so it’s not worth the risk! 🚫 Instead, get your vitamin D from food 🥚🥛or supplements. Tag a friend who still thinks tanning = vitamin D! ☀️👇 ##VitaminD##SPFEveryday##SkincareMyths##HealthySkin##ScienceBacked##BoneHealth ♬ original sound - Samantha Schneider, MD

Some people still believe that wearing sunscreen can lead to a vitamin D deficiency—but is that actually true?

Hi, I’m Dr. Schneider, a board-certified dermatologist, and today we’re going to bust a common myth that’s been around for far too long.

What We Know About Sunscreen and Vitamin D

In a lab setting, sunscreen is tested under ideal conditions—applied in a thick, even layer to completely block UV rays. But let’s be honest: that’s not how most of us apply it in real life. We often use too little or miss spots altogether.

That’s one reason studies have shown that people who wear sunscreen regularly don’t tend to have lower vitamin D levels. In fact, one study found that sunscreen wearers had normal vitamin D levels—likely because they were still spending time outdoors (and not using quite enough sunscreen to block all UVB rays).

Why This Matters

Yes, UVB rays are what your skin uses to make vitamin D—but they’re also the same rays that cause sunburn, photoaging, and skin cancer. So while sunlight plays a role in vitamin D production, it also comes with serious risks.

What About Supplements?

You might think vitamin D supplements are a safer bet, but even here, the research is mixed. The VITAL study, one of the largest to date, showed that vitamin D supplements did not reduce the risk of cancer or cardiovascular events in healthy adults. Another major study in the New England Journal of Medicine found no protective effect against fractures either.

What Should You Do Instead?

The good news: you don’t need to trade healthy skin for healthy bones. You can get vitamin D safely through your diet. Foods like salmon, fortified dairy or plant milks, egg yolks, and mushrooms can provide what your body needs—without exposing your skin to harmful UV rays.

The Bottom Line

• Sunscreen does not cause vitamin D deficiency.

• Most of us don't apply enough sunscreen to fully block vitamin D production.

• UV rays cause skin damage and increase cancer risk—so sunscreen is still essential.

• Rely on food (and supplements if needed) to get your vitamin D, not the sun.

   

Protect your skin. Wear your sunscreen. And send to a friend who still thinks they need a tan to stay healthy!

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Want the transcript for this video instead?   Some people think that wearing sunscreen will make them vitamin D deficient, but is that really true? I'm Dr. Schneider. I'm a board certified dermatologist. Let's break it down. Sunscreen is tested in a lab, but real life is different than in the lab. In real life, we're not putting on as much sunscreen as it's recommended on the bottle.

So in a lab setting, it might look like sunscreen is blocking Vitamin D study that was done. What they found is that people who are wearing sunscreen. Actually did not have lower levels of vitamin D. There were a couple reasons why this might be true. People wearing sunscreen are outside. The second reason is the wild.

We're not putting on as much sunscreen as the bottle recommends. Here's the thing, we know that the same UV that you're getting to lead to your, your Vitamin D production is the same uv. It's leading to photo damage and possible skin cancer. Vitamin D is important for our body. It's how we absorb calcium.

It supports the immune system, but you don't need to risk skin cancer or premature aging to get your vitamin D. The vital study found that vitamin D supplementation actually didn't protect against cancer development or cardiovascular events. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that supplementing with Vitamin D actually did not protect against fractured, um, healthy adults.

Your best bet is to get your vitamin D from food sources. You should definitely wear your sunscreen and protect your skin from UV rays. Tag a friend who still thinks they need a tan to get their vitamin D.