DermUV

Vitamin D & Sun

UVB triggers vitamin D synthesis in the skin. A few minutes of midday sun a few times a week is usually enough — well below burn threshold.

Vitamin D & Sun explained

Vitamin D production saturates quickly; further exposure adds DNA damage but no extra D. AAD prefers brief sub-burn exposure or supplementation over tanning. Glass blocks UVB, so indoor sunlight does not produce vitamin D.

Related terms

Terms related to Vitamin D & Sun connect the UV and sunscreen topic cluster.

Related DermUV pages

Continue with reference material and live city UV forecasts.

What to do with this Vitamin D & Sun data

Sunscreen labels are tested at 2 mg/cm². Typical real-world application is closer to half that, so DermUV assumes about half the labelled SPF when it estimates protected time.

The UV index is a measure of erythemal (skin-reddening) irradiance, where each whole point equals 25 mW/m² of UV energy reaching the surface. That is why burn-time estimates fall roughly by half when the index doubles.

Cumulative dose drives photoaging and long-term skin damage more than any single day. Small daily exposures on commutes, walks, and driving add up across a season.

Reapplication matters more than the SPF number. Reapply roughly every two hours outdoors and immediately after swimming, heavy sweating, or towelling, regardless of what the bottle claims.

Cloud cover is not protection. Thin or broken cloud can still pass most incoming UV, and light cloud edges can briefly scatter more UV toward the ground than a clear sky.

UV scale reference

The WHO scale groups UV 1-2 as low, 3-5 as moderate, 6-7 as high, 8-10 as very high, and 11 or above as extreme. Protection is recommended from UV 3 upward, and shade during the middle of the day becomes the priority from UV 8 upward.

A practical routine at moderate-to-high UV is roughly one ounce of broad-spectrum sunscreen for full-body coverage, applied 15 minutes before going out, then reapplied on schedule. Clothing, hats, and shade carry the rest of the load, especially for children and anyone with a history of easy burning.

Keep exploring DermUV

These pages give more depth around vitamin d & sun, from UV-scale reference material to definitions and city forecasts.

All figures on DermUV are educational estimates built from public UV data and published dose literature. They are not personal advice.