Safe Summer Fun in the Sun

Spending your summer days at the public pool with your kids - it can be a fun, memory-making time filled with diving board tricks and splashing in the water with friends, or it can be ruined pretty quickly by the stress of managing snacks and sunscreen, sunburns and tummy aches.

I was at the pool recently with my own kiddos and, much like the airport, I learned it was a great place to people watch and get a read on the things weighing on the minds of moms everywhere. One such mom was particularly stressed this day because, despite the SPF 50 she continued to apply, she was burnt from her day in the sunshine. “The sun is just getting hotter,” she vented, “I never used to burn like this before.” A quick glance around the pool deck, however, and the culprit was pretty obvious to me. And it had nothing to do with a supposedly “hotter” sun. Everywhere families sipped large sodas, snacked on nachos covered in a neon orange cheese sauce, and popped back multi-covered candies and ice creams.

In this scenario - our bodies, the sun that has warmed the planet since creation, and the chemical-laden, nutrient-light snacks we fill ourselves with while laying out midday - what has actually changed? Our ancestors lived in harmony with the sun for centuries before we came along and made it Summer Enemy #1 . Could the difference be in how we are choosing to treat and feed our bodies? And maybe how we “protect” ourselves from the sun’s rays with more chemical burden instead of utilizing sun-derived nutrients and built-in protection?

Even more - how do we reconcile the fact that at the same time that sunscreen usage has increased, skin cancer rates have also increased dramatically? If sunscreen is the answer, how are we not seeing any decrease in skin cancers with their addition?

We know sun exposure is necessary for our vitamin D production. It is indisputable. But it goes even further than that. We can’t even fully supplement vitamin D because the chemical process our skin uses to create the vitamin is not duplicated in supplement form. It is incomplete. And vitamin D isn’t just a nutrient. It is a critical hormone for our health and the health of our children.

So what’s a mom to do? The competing voices and information are enough to make a mom crazy and suck the fun right out of a family pool day. Overexposure comes with its own risks and harms, and a sunburn and sun poisoning aren’t a walk in the park. How do we make sure our children are getting enough sun, but not too much? 

Well, let’s break it down. First let’s talk vitamin D.

The Sunshine Vitamin

As I mentioned before, its more than a vitamin. Vitamin D acts as a critical hormone necessary for many of our body’s functions, including:

• Influence or turn on over 2,000 genes in the body

• Increase beta-endorphins and serotonin

• Boost immune function and help stave off autoimmune diseases

• Help maintain the health of the vascular system

• Aid the absorption of calcium and work synergistically with the other fat soluble vitamins A, E, and K

• Fight inflammation and reduce inflammatory markers in the body

• Help slow the aging process

• Resist the production of cancerous cells. Vitamin D is involved in apoptosis, the natural cell self-destruction process that happens before cells become malignant

Read that list again. Slow the aging process and prevent malignancy? These seem to be the very jobs we are told sunscreens are designed to do. Without, of course, the addition of carcinogenic ingredients. But if our bodies can do this on their own with adequate levels of vitamin D, then why don’t we just supplement and take the sun risk out of the equation?

Solar Power Skin

Well, again, our bodies were designed to not only make vitamin D, but also to simultaneously create the transport mechanism and chemical chain reaction necessary to move this throughout our bodies, and to do so more efficiently than any man-made substance. Vitamin D doesn’t work alone, and when the sun’s UVB rays hit our skin, they set off a chemical reaction that creates sulfate from sulfide and red blood cells. Supplemental vitamin D doesn’t contain the sulfate, nor does it create the necessary cholesterol precursor to vitamin D that our body makes the moment UVB rays hit our skin. Sunshine is the key. MIT Senior Research Scientist Stephanie Seneff, PhD describes the skin as a “solar powered battery” and says sulfate is a key product of this reaction. In addition to vitamin D, many other vitamins, hormones, and neurotransmitters must be sulfated for transport in the blood. “Sulfate transport,” says Seneff, “ranks among the most important bodily functions these various substances perform.” Lack of sun exposure and blocking with sunscreens not only inhibits and disrupts the transport of these essential body functions, but also contributes to toxin overload, disease, and autoimmune disorders.¹

The Trouble with Sunscreen

In fact, along with reducing vitamin D, it seems that sunscreen may even be having the exact opposite impact on our largest organ system, our skin, than we are intending when we slather or spray it on. Many of the sprays take their chemical burden a step further and impact lung and respiratory system health when we repeatedly inhale the tiny particles spray after repeat spray.

“Sunscreen blocks the frequency of light that our skin needs to make vitamin D, which is in the ultraviolet B range. The result is chronically low vitamin D levels, which increase the risk of infections, lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, autoimmune problems, preterm labor, toxemia of pregnancy, schizophrenia, learning disabilities, and other mental health problems.”―Terry Wahls, M.D., The Wahls Protocol

In addition to the disruption, many sunscreens are designed to only block the sun’s UVB rays (remember how critical those were?), and don’t even block the damaging UVA rays. This stops not only the necessary chemical reaction we need for vitamin production and sulfation, but it also disrupts our skin’s communication system. UVB rays are the rays that turn us pink in the sun when we have had too much. This signal can be used as our tip to cover up and find shade, but we are regularly shutting off that natural communication. 

“The only people benefiting from sunscreens in this world are the ones who sell them.” ―Nora Gegaudas, CNS, CNT, Primal Body, Primal Mind

Are you completely frustrated? I get it. Safe sun can be overwhelming and scary. But that’s what I’m here for. We don’t have to fear the day in the sun. It is truly all about balance. And safe sun exposure begins inside.

Safe Sun Begins Inside

Ok, so we know our body is designed to work as one big, beautiful unit. And the skin - that largest organ we talked about - is often a window to the systems on the inside. It makes sense that the way we treat and feed the inside is going to be reflected in our skin health. So if we want safe, healthy skin, we have to first feed our bodies nourishing whole, antioxidant-rich foods. 

Friends, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is NOT the nachos and soda on the pool deck. Pitch it in the trash right along with the SPF 50. The sun is not going to make you sick, but these - these absolutely will. 

“Hunter-gatherer societies, with their 24/7/365 exposure to sunlight, do not have a particularly high incidence of skin cancer or melanomas. The constant exposure, lack of sunburns, and a nutrient-dense diet may be a factor in why their risk of cancers appears to be much lower than ours.” ―Terry Wahls, M.D., The Wahls Protocol

A consistent diet of whole, nutrient-dense foods, rich in antioxidants and plenty of healthy fats (avoid those seed oils!) and balanced blood sugar will keep the body in an anti-inflammatory state. Don’t fear the fats, choose healthy fats and support bile production to absorb those fats adequately. These are the building blocks of our cells - and essential for healthy skin and vitamin absorption. Healthy fats can even promote healing and reverse free radical damage!

Unsure of which foods are high in antioxidants? Look to those that are in season in summertime! Bright colored berries, rich leafy greens, and sunshine-yellow fruits are in season for a reason. These fruits and vegetables come in season just as our bodies are designed to need them for inside-out sun protection. Created for our use, at just the moment they are critical for our health. What a beautiful provision from God our Creator.

Summer is in full swing here in the midwest, so let’s say you are spending your days outside and you still can’t figure out why you or your children are getting pink so quickly. My suggestion is to start by looking a bit deeper. I find that when kids are very toxic and lack proper sulfate and are not methylating well, they tend to burn easier. Bringing stability to their system, leaves more vitamin D reserves within the body and offers a sun protective balance. There have also been some interesting studies recently connecting low levels of melatonin and easily burning in the sun, so that would be another area of quick investigation.  Getting blood work is a great way to check vitamin D levels on your child. Just remember - functional ranges are often different from traditional ranges. We are aiming for an OPTIMAL range for optimal protection and health.

Then Go Outside!

Along with eating the right foods, it is also important to  build up moderate exposure to the sun. This helps us manufacture not only protective vitamin D, but also the antioxidant melanin, the pigment that makes our skin darker, and helps to prevent sunburn and other skin ailments down the road.

So what about outside sun protection? As with most things the key is LOW and SLOW. You can’t expect to camp out on the beach in the July midday sun and not feel the burn. The best plan is to begin sun exposure throughout the spring and winter months and gradually increase the duration as the sun increases strength in the summer, tolerance builds, and a baseline is established. In Mighty Warrior Kids we discuss many of the benefits of year-round outdoor play for kids, and this slow, protective sun exposure is just one of them!

Then, be aware of your environment and surroundings. Consider how close you are to water, which acts as a reflective surface and intensifies the sun’s rays, assess the time of day, and the latitude of your summer fun. This is especially important when you vacation closer to the equator than you live the rest of the year! The sun is stronger and more direct, and you may not have the same tolerance at those latitudes. 

And, of course, don’t forget to consider skin pigmentation which can vary widely, even within families. Fairer skinned people, and especially those with red hair, are much more efficient at vitamin D production, which is very handy, but also means they cannot be in the sun for the same duration as those with darker pigmentation without burning. This doesn’t mean they should avoid the sun altogether, though, just that we must be aware of their bio-individual timeline for safe sun exposure.

Safe Alternatives for Sun Protection… and Relief

There will be times, of course, when that timeline can’t be as firm. I get it. Family vacations, pool days, even trips to the zoo can all be a recipe for pink cheeks. If you find yourself needing some added protection, I recommend finding clean sunscreens that block UVA rays as well as the UVB, and not relying on these for your entire day! Red raspberry seed oil, zinc oxide, and carrot seed essential oil are all great, safe alternatives for those longer sun days.

And whenever possible, covering up with protective clothing and shade is always going to be the safest option. Hats, protective swimwear, or lightweight clothing will always be the best option for those long, hot days midsummer.

And for when you just don’t get the balance quite right and your sweet little one suddenly has bright pink cheeks? 

First, don’t panic. 

Then, for sunburn relief I recommend the following options:

• Internally taking calcium and magnesium 

• Cellcore CT-Minerals internally and externally

• Antioxidants

• Lots of water

• Belladonna 

• Aloe vera (just be aware of aloe vera gels that have toxic ingredients,you want 100% aloe)

• Topical and internal vitamin a & e

• Lavender essential oil 

• Colloidal silver  

And remember, we were created to live and benefit from the sun, and it has only been in the last few decades that we find ourselves afraid of it. Don’t let the fear rob you of the benefits of the sunshine vitamins. YOU are solar powered. 

For more safe sun nutrition, I encourage you to check out the book: Eat Your Sunscreen by Rosemary Fotheringham.

And for more information and insights on safe sun exposure, check out this interview with Dr. Stephanie Seneff. 

As always, I’d love to hear what you think! Reach out to me by email at or socials @gracioushealing. Want more info right in your inbox? Be sure to sign up for the Gracious Healing newsletter here!

Want more information on finding the right balance for your child’s health? I’d love for you to join our membership community at Mighty Warrior Kids. We deep-dive all aspects of children’s nutrition and wellness, including safe sun and the beauty of free play!

Hope you are enjoying your days in the sun - and having a great summer! 

¹https://holisticprimarycare.net/topics/nutrition-a-lifestyle/sulfate-the-most-common-nutritional-deficiency-you-ve-never-heard-of/