Reclaiming our relationship with the sun

When did the sun become something to fear? Not in a reckless or oblivious way, and not without consideration for safety, but with an understanding that the sun is vital for health, regulation, and life supporting us in ways we often overlook.

Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught to avoid it, block it, and cover it at all costs. Over time, the message became simple and loud: the sun is dangerous.

While much of this messaging was in some ways well intentioned, it has also been misleading.

The sun is not the enemy. It is essential to life.

Every living system on Earth evolved with the sun as a constant presence. Light regulates our sleep and wake cycles, supports hormone balance, influences immune function, drives energy production, and plays a role in skin health and mood. Without regular contact with sunlight, the body loses important signals that help it regulate and adapt.

The problem is not the sun itself. The problem is how disconnected we have become from natural exposure and how rarely we allow the body to build resilience.

For most of human history, sunlight was understood as necessary for health. People lived outdoors, worked with daylight, and seasonal sun exposure was normal. Rickets, tuberculosis, depression, and poor immunity were all historically treated with sunlight and fresh air in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Sunlight was medicine.

Timeline points that make you wonder

• Industrialisation: As work and daily life moved indoors, regular gentle sun exposure was replaced with long hours inside and short bursts of intense sunlight. The body lost the opportunity to build gradual tolerance.

• The sunscreen industry: As sunscreen products became widely available, messaging shifted toward daily and constant use. Blocking sunlight became the default approach rather than managing exposure.

• The tanning industry: As fear of the sun increased, fake tanning became a widely accepted alternative. On the surface it appears safer, but this shift introduced another issue that is rarely discussed. Concerns around fake tanning include repeated exposure to chemical ingredients on the skin, inhalation risks with spray tans, increased oxidative stress in the skin when DHA is exposed to UV light, and the cumulative toxic load placed on the body’s largest organ. What is applied to the skin does not simply sit there. It interacts with the body.

This does not require fear or judgement. It simply invites a question worth asking. When industries are built around avoiding natural systems, and billions of dollars are involved, it is reasonable to pause and think more critically about what is being promoted and why.

A healthier relationship with the sun

Sunlight helps set our circadian rhythm, which affects sleep, appetite, metabolism, mood, and hormone release. It supports vitamin D production, nitric oxide release, mitochondrial health, and nervous system regulation. When exposure is gradual and appropriate, the body adapts. When the sun is avoided for long periods and then suddenly encountered, the system reacts poorly.

Fun fact: vitamin D is technically a hormone, so it’s wise to put extra thought into natural sources like sunlight and certain foods, as supporting the body to metabolise it naturally can go a long way, rather than relying solely on supplements.

Now think about how you live day to day. Your sleep, energy, mood, and resilience. Light exposure, time outdoors, sleep, stress. Do you notice any connections?

Resilience is built through intelligent exposure, not fear and avoidance.

When we constantly avoid the sun, the skin often becomes more sensitive rather than less. Reduced tolerance, lower vitamin D levels, disrupted circadian rhythm, and increased inflammatory responses can all develop over time. A body that never meets the sun never learns how to respond to it.

Diet plays a major role in how the skin responds to sunlight. Modern diets high in ultra processed foods and industrial seed oils can increase inflammation and oxidative stress, which makes burning more likely. Seed oils such as canola, sunflower, soybean, and corn oil are made up of unstable fats that oxidise easily when exposed to heat and light. When these fats are incorporated into cell membranes, the skin can become more reactive to UV exposure.

A more traditional, nutrient dense diet often supports much better sun tolerance. Adequate animal protein supports skin repair. Healthy fats from meat, butter, ghee, and dairy provide stability at the cellular level. Minerals such as zinc, selenium, and magnesium, along with fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, all play a role in skin resilience.

For people who are naturally pale or who burn easily, this dietary foundation can make a noticeable difference. Stronger internal nutrition supports stronger external resilience.

Sun resilience is not only about the skin, the eyes play an important role as well.

Light entering the eyes sends signals to the brain that influence hormone production and cellular responses throughout the body. These signals help the body prepare for sun exposure. When sunglasses are worn constantly during daylight hours, especially in the morning and late afternoon, this signalling can be disrupted. Where it is safe to do so, allowing the eyes to gradually adjust to natural light helps support the body’s natural protective responses. This does not mean staring directly at the sun, but rather allowing gentle light exposure so the nervous system can orient and regulate.

Timing also matters. Early morning sunlight and late afternoon or early evening sun are generally the most supportive times to build resilience. These periods provide important light signals without overwhelming intensity. Midday sun is stronger and requires more care, particularly for fair or sensitive skin.

Protection does not always need to mean blocking. Sunscreen has a place, especially for long or unavoidable exposure, but constant reliance on it can prevent the skin from adapting. Wearing hats, loose long sleeved clothing, and choosing natural breathable fibres allows protection without interfering with the skin’s natural signalling processes. Seeking shade during peak hours is often more supportive than complete avoidance.

Sun resilience is built slowly. Short periods of exposure that increase gradually allow the body to adapt. Burning should always be avoided, as this is damage rather than adaptation. Gentle exposure builds tolerance over time.

Some people still struggle with sun tolerance despite doing many of these things well. They may feel depleted, overstimulated, headachy, or unwell after being in the sun rather than nourished by it. This is often a sign that the nervous system or regulatory systems are under strain.

This is where homeopathy can be a helpful support.

Sol is a homeopathic remedy prepared from sunlight itself. It is used when the body struggles to regulate and respond appropriately to sun exposure. Sol may be indicated for headaches or migraines triggered by sun, fatigue or weakness after being in sunlight, heat or light intolerance, skin reactions that feel disproportionate to exposure, or nervous system overstimulation from warmth and brightness.

Sol does not block the sun. It supports the body’s ability to adapt and regulate.

In simple acute situations, Sol is often used in a 30C potency. A common approach is one dose taken shortly before sun exposure, or one dose after exposure if symptoms appear. This can be repeated once or twice in a day if needed, stopping as soon as improvement is noticed. For more ongoing sensitivity or deeper patterns, potency and dosing are best guided individually by a trained practitioner.

The goal is regulation, not suppression.

A balanced approach to sun exposure supports health far more effectively than fear. Nourishing the body well, building gradual exposure, supporting natural signalling systems, and using sensible external protection when needed all work together.

Chemical vs mineral sunscreen.

The main difference comes down to how they work on the skin.

Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation. They use synthetic chemical filters such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate, homosalate, and octocrylene. These chemicals penetrate the skin, absorb UV rays, and convert them into heat inside the body.

Mineral sunscreens sit on the surface of the skin. They use zinc oxide and or titanium dioxide to physically reflect and scatter UV radiation away from the skin.

That difference matters, especially when we remember that the skin is the largest organ of the body.

Because chemical sunscreens are designed to be absorbed, they do not stay on the surface.

Potential concerns include:

• Disruption to hormone signalling, as some chemical filters act as endocrine disruptors

• Absorption into the bloodstream through the skin

• Accumulation with repeated daily use

• Increased vulnerability in babies and children due to thinner skin and developing systems

• Skin irritation, rashes, and sensitivity, particularly in hot conditions

• Added toxic load on the liver, which must process and clear these compounds

Babies and children are especially vulnerable because their skin barrier is not fully mature, their detox pathways are still developing, and their body size means exposure is proportionally higher.

This does not mean one application equals harm. But chronic, routine use is worth questioning, especially when safer options exist.

Mineral sunscreens work externally rather than internally. Zinc oxide, in particular, has a long history of use and is well tolerated by sensitive skin, babies, and children.

Benefits include:

• Minimal absorption into the bloodstream

• No hormone disruption

• Broad spectrum UV protection

• Lower risk of skin irritation

• Better suited for sensitive skin and young children

For many families, mineral sunscreen offers effective protection without adding unnecessary chemical load to the body.

Sunscreen should not be the first or only line of defence. Clothing, hats, shade, timing of exposure, diet, and gradual sun adaptation all matter.

When sunscreen is needed, choosing products that work with the body rather than inside it is a sensible step, particularly for children.

My personal favourite sunblock options that can be layered on top of our foundational practices inclide:

• Back To The Wild

• Wotnot

• Little Urchin

• Badger

Protection does not have to come at the cost of long term health.

The sun grows life. When we meet it with respect rather than fear and with the right foundations, the body knows exactly how to respond.

The goal is not to live unprotected. The goal is to live resilient.