Are you avoiding the sun for fear of getting skin cancer? If yes, then you’re not alone. I’ve posted a lot lately about skin cancer and sun safety because I feel there’s a lot of confusion and misinformation on the subject that is affecting the behavior and choices of most people –though not necessarily in a good way.

My philosophy in life is everything in moderation and that goes for sun protection too. The media, dermatologists, and some doctors have been hammering in the message that any exposure to the sun is unsafe and so you shouldn’t ever go out in the sun without some form of protection or you risk getting skin cancer. This in my humble opinion is a gross exaggeration and frankly a little irresponsible.

Why are there so few voices out there touting the benefits of the sun and the importance of finding a balance between getting enough exposure, without putting your self at risk?

The cynic in me would say there’s no money to be made by encouraging people to get some sun, but there is a ton of money to be made from scaring people into believing they should wear sunscreen as a second skin –after all, the companies that make sunscreen products depend on this fear for their livelihood and prosperity!

Fortunately, there are a few doctors and researchers out there providing a voice of reason on this subject. One key proponent of responsible sun exposure is Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, who authored book called book “The UV Advantage.” In his book Holick cites more than 120 peer-reviewed studies that demonstrate moderate exposure to UV light will give the body the Vitamin D it needs without significant skin damage.

What many people may not know is that our bodies use sun light to create Vitamin D — a key nutrient we need to fight a variety of diseases including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancers like breast, prostate and colon cancer. Recent studies suggest your body needs up to 1000 mg of D per day to cut the potential risk for ovarian, colon, and breast cancer in half. Without sun exposure, that’s hard to do with diet and supplements alone.

Holick says that slathering SPF 15 sunscreen all over your body (about 1 oz) prevents its ability to make Vitamin D by 95%. That’s because all sunscreens are designed to block UVB rays, which are the ones we need to make Vitamin D.

For that reason everyone needs a little unprotected time in the sun, depending on the latitude, time of day, season, and their skin type (degree of skin pigmentation), which he covers in his book in detail. To be sure you’re getting enough sun –but not too much … estimate how long it will take you to get a mild sunburn (i.e. 20 minutes); divide that by 4 (i.e. 5 minutes). Two or three times a week, expose your face, hands, and arms, or legs, for that amount of time, then apply a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF15.

With the arrival of fall and subsequently winter here in the U.S., the intensity of the sun’s rays will be much lower than they are in the summer –even during the peak hours of 10 AM to 2 PM. So don’t be afraid to let the sun shine in!