Modern sun care has quietly drifted away from nature. What began as protection against excessive exposure has, in many cases, turned into a daily attempt to block the sun entirely. That approach might be well-intentioned, but it overlooks something fundamental: humans evolved with sunlight, not in opposition to it.
Vitamin D is not optional. It’s essential for immune function, bone strength, hormone balance, mood, and long-term health. For most people, the body’s primary source of vitamin D is direct sun exposure on the skin. This biological process has shaped human survival for hundreds of thousands of years. Had we not been able to synthesise vitamin D from sunlight, we would not have survived as a species.
From an evolutionary perspective, constant sun avoidance makes little sense. Human skin is designed to respond to sunlight gradually, increasing melanin production and strengthening its natural defences over time. Blocking this process continuously disrupts a feedback loop the body relies on. It isn’t a natural approach to health, and it’s not without consequences.
This is where the modern obsession with very high SPFs starts to fall apart. Higher SPF does not mean proportionally better protection. SPF 30 already blocks around 97% of UVB rays, SPF 50 about 98%, and SPF 100 roughly 99%. The difference between them is marginal, yet achieving those higher numbers usually requires significantly more active ingredients.
In chemical sunscreens, this often means higher concentrations of UV-absorbing compounds. These ingredients don’t just sit on the surface of the skin - they work by absorbing radiation and converting it into heat, and some are known to penetrate the skin barrier. For people with sensitive skin, this can increase the risk of irritation, inflammation, and disruption of the skin’s natural balance. From a broader health perspective, routinely increasing chemical load for minimal gain makes little sense.
Even with mineral sunscreens, pushing SPF very high often leads to heavier formulations that are less comfortable to wear and less likely to be applied generously or reapplied properly. More importantly, very high SPFs are designed to block almost all UV exposure, which directly interferes with vitamin D synthesis and prevents the skin from adapting naturally to sunlight.
This matters, because sunscreen should be a tool - not a replacement for the body’s own defences. Its role is to protect against burning and excessive exposure, not to eliminate sunlight altogether. Used correctly, sunscreen supports health. Used indiscriminately, it can work against it.
Lower SPF mineral sunscreens, such as SPF 25, allow for a more balanced relationship with the sun. They reduce the risk of burning while still permitting limited UV exposure, supporting vitamin D production and encouraging the skin to strengthen itself over time. This approach aligns far more closely with how human skin evolved to function.
The idea that the sun is something to fear has been quietly reinforced by marketing rather than biology. Sunburn is damaging, yes - but treating all sun exposure as harmful ignores the fact that sunlight is a critical environmental input, not a toxin.
Building the skin’s natural defences takes patience. Short, regular periods of appropriate exposure allow melanin to increase gradually, improving resilience and reducing long-term reliance on sunscreen. In this context, sunscreen becomes a safeguard rather than a daily dependency.
Mineral sunscreens support this philosophy better than chemical ones. They remain on the skin’s surface, are less likely to disrupt systemic processes, and tend to be gentler on both skin and environment. At moderate SPF levels, they offer protection without shutting down the skin’s natural relationship with the sun.
This isn’t an argument against sunscreen. It’s an argument against extremes. Human health doesn’t thrive on total avoidance or total exposure. We didn’t evolve indoors, permanently shielded from the sun. We evolved outdoors, adapting slowly and intelligently.
A needs-must approach to sun care - guided by duration, intensity, environment, and individual skin response - is not reckless. It’s rooted in biology.
Shade All-Natural Sunscreen SPF25 exists to support that balance: protection when it’s needed, without undermining the body’s innate wisdom.
Sun care works best when it respects how we got here in the first place.