Sunscreen is widely recommended as a daily essential to protect the skin from premature ageing, pigmentation, and skin cancer. However, a common concern among patients is whether everyday sunscreen use
interferes with vitamin D production. From a dermatologist’s perspective, this relationship is frequently misunderstood.
Dr Ajay Dodeja, Junior Consultant – Dermatology, KIMS Hospitals Thane, says, “Vitamin D is synthesised in the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight. Because sunscreens are designed to block or absorb UV radiation, many people assume that daily sunscreen use completely shuts down vitamin D production. In reality, this effect is far less pronounced than commonly believed.”
In real-life conditions, most people do not apply sunscreen perfectly or in adequate amounts, and it is rarely reapplied as recommended. As a result, some degree of UVB exposure still occurs during routine outdoor activities such as walking, commuting, or incidental sun exposure. Multiple studies have demonstrated that regular sunscreen use does not significantly lower vitamin D levels in healthy individuals.
More importantly, unprotected sun exposure is a well-established risk factor for skin cancer, premature ageing, sunburn, and pigmentary disorders. Intentionally avoiding sunscreen to increase vitamin D synthesis exposes the skin to cumulative ultraviolet damage, the long-term risks of which clearly outweigh any potential benefit.
Vitamin D deficiency in modern populations is influenced far more by indoor lifestyles, limited outdoor activity, air pollution, clothing practices, and inadequate dietary intake than by sunscreen use alone. Individuals who spend most of their time indoors are at risk of deficiency regardless of whether they use sunscreen.
For patients found to be vitamin D deficient, dermatologists and physicians recommend dietary sources such as fortified foods, dairy products, eggs, and fatty fish, or oral supplementation under medical supervision, rather than increasing unprotected sun exposure.
