Sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D, but the same UVB rays that trigger vitamin D synthesis also damage skin cells and increase skin cancer risk.
Dermatologists do not recommend unprotected sun exposure or tanning beds as a primary source of vitamin D.
You can still make vitamin D while wearing sunscreen, and supplements are often a safer, more reliable option for maintaining healthy vitamin D levels.
You’ve probably heard conflicting advice about sun exposure: Wear sunscreen every day to prevent skin cancer, but also get some sunlight for vitamin D.
While sunlight does play an important role in vitamin D production, dermatologists say intentionally skipping sunscreen or tanning to raise vitamin D levels isn’t worth the tradeoff.
Vitamin D is one of the few nutrients your body can actually make on its own—and sunlight plays a big role in that process. When UVB rays from the sun hit your skin, they kick off a chain reaction that helps your body produce vitamin D. UVB exposure converts a naturally occurring compound in the skin into vitamin D3. Then your liver and kidneys process it into the active form your body can actually use.
Why You Need to Worry About Sun Damage
Here’s the tricky part: The same UVB rays responsible for vitamin D production are also responsible for skin damage.
“UVB radiation from the sun causes DNA damage and skin cell death, but it’s also the specific wavelength required to trigger vitamin D synthesis in skin cells,” said Anthony Rossi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
That doesn’t mean all sun exposure is inherently bad. Research suggests sunlight may have benefits beyond vitamin D, including for cardiovascular1 and mental health.2 However, Rossi emphasized that those findings should not be interpreted as a reason to intentionally burn or tan.
What’s more, dermatologists say there’s no universally “safe” threshold for tanning.
“Everyone tolerates UV at different levels based on their skin biology, medications, and location around the equator,” Tanya Kormeili, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Santa Monica.
Even short periods of UV exposure can contribute to cumulative skin damage over time, increasing the risk of premature aging, hyperpigmentation, and skin cancer, Kormeili added.
Experts also strongly advise against using tanning beds for vitamin D.
“Never use tanning beds as a vitamin D source,” Rossi said. “Tanning beds expose the skin primarily to UVA, which doesn’t produce vitamin D, making it both pointless and dangerous as a vitamin D strategy.”
How to Balance Vitamin D Production With Sun Safety
The good news is that protecting your skin does not mean you have to sacrifice vitamin D. “You can be outside and not get pink, red, or burn. You can wear sunscreen and still make vitamin D,” Rossi said.
Research has consistently shown that sunscreen use in real-world settings does not typically cause vitamin D deficiency.3 That’s partly because sunscreen rarely blocks 100% of UVB rays. According to Rossi, SPF 15 filters about 93% of UVB radiation, SPF 30 filters 97%, and SPF 50 filters 98%, meaning a small amount still reaches the skin.
“Wear sunscreen daily, without guilt about vitamin D,” Rossi said. “The data is clear: Sunscreen does not cause deficiency in real-world use.”
When to Take Vitamin D Supplements
Both dermatologists said supplements are often a safer and more predictable way to maintain healthy vitamin D levels without increasing UV damage risk.
“When you supplement Vitamin D, you are getting Vitamin D3, which is then taken the same exact way to your liver and kidneys to create the active form of Vitamin D used by the body,” Kormeili said.
Rossi recommends monitoring vitamin D levels with bloodwork when appropriate and supplementing strategically if levels are low. He noted that vitamin D insufficiency can carry health risks, particularly when people are extremely sun-avoidant and not supplementing.
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Weller RB. Sunlight Has Cardiovascular Benefits Independently of Vitamin D. Blood Purif. 2016;41(1-3):130-134. doi:10.1159/000441266
Wang J, Wei Z, Yao N, Li C, Sun L. Association Between Sunlight Exposure and Mental Health: Evidence from a Special Population Without Sunlight in Work. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2023;16:1049-1057. Published 2023 Jun 14. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S420018
Neale RE, Khan SR, Lucas RM, Waterhouse M, Whiteman DC, Olsen CM. The effect of sunscreen on vitamin D: a review. Br J Dermatol. 2019;181(5):907-915. doi:10.1111/bjd.17980
