Saturday November 2, marks National Vitamin D Day, dedicated to spreading awareness on vitamin D and the deficiencies that Australia is facing. In order to become more aware of what exactly this vitamin is and the important role it plays in our overall health and wellbeing, BD spoke with Solar D Sunscreen CEO, Mathew Collet.
Let’s kick things off what even is vitamin D - it’s a hormone that our bodies produce when skin is exposed to UVB light. Collet said we get about 10% from some foods such as fatty fish, eggs and milk, however for most people, the main source of vitamin D is skin exposure to sunlight. “We get 90% from exposing our skin to sunlight in the hotter summer days from between 10am till 3pm,” he said.
So why is vitamin D so important? Well, it helps support our immune system by strengthening our cells.
“Vitamin D is known to strengthen our bones and support muscle growth, and vitamin D deficiency is proven to worsen cases of MS, depression, most cancers, diabetes, and most autoimmune diseases,” Collet explains.
According to the Medical Journal of Australia, an estimated 31% of adults in Australia have inadequate vitamin D status. And this stat increases to more than 50% during winter-spring, and in people residing in southern states.
“Basically we develop vitamin D deficiency by avoiding sunlight,” said Collet. “This can come from staying indoors during the middle of the day, covering up with clothes and hats, wearing most sunscreens or living in places that don’t receive much annual sunlight.”
This is where using a sunscreen, such as Solar D, comes into play. A world first in SPF development, Solar D Sunscreen’s patented technology is changing the way Australian’s look at sun protection. By letting in some UVB light, the brand supports an increased production of vitamin D in the skin.
“Solar D has developed the first Vitamin D Promoting SPF Technology that allows for some of the UVB light to come through, so we can naturally produce vitamin D without sacrificing sun protection,” said Collet.
“Using existing sunscreen ingredients, Solar D developed a formula that allows some UVB light between 290 & 305 nanometres, but still screens out the UVA light to protect us from DNA damage, burning and ageing.”
For more information and to download hi-res images for any upcoming sun protection content, click here.
