How Much Sun Exposure is Healthy?

TikTok scare stories are total baloney. Here’s the real Rx: Use sunscreen, and get your vitamin D. Recently I went to New York to visit family for my brother’s birthday. The day was sunny and hot, but he has a boat, so we decided to take it out on the bay where the breeze would help us forget about East Coast humidity for a while. My older cousin was ready to go, decked out in cargo pants, a wide brimmed hat, and a long sleeved shirt. It’s easy to hate the sun during such a blistering summer, but letting our skin be exposed to its rays, when protected by sunscreen, has a lot of benefits. My cousin disagrees, and so do TikTokers who spread misinformation about sunscreen and its harms. And that kind of incorrect advice is reaching a lot of people. A survey from the Orlando Health Cancer Institute found that 1 in 7 American adults under age 35 believe using sunscreen daily is more harmful than direct sun exposure. Humans rely on the sun for vitamin D, which plays a role in many body ...