Does chronic sunscreen use reduce vitamin D production to insufficient levels?

Wednesday August 25, 2010

The findings of an article published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2009 offers a conclusion of ongoing relevance, particularly to those working in primary prevention.

As outlined in the article abstract, concern has been raised in recent years that the widespread use of sunscreens, particularly those with high sun protection factors, “may lead to a significant decrease in solar-induced previtamin D3 in the skin, resulting in a vitamin D level which is considered insufficient for protection against a wide range of diseases”. The article provides a summary of published evidence both to support and to question this view.

The authors conclude that “although sunscreens can significantly reduce the production of vitamin D under very strictly controlled conditions, their normal usage does not generally result in vitamin D insufficiency”. In their view, this is mainly due to inadequacies in their application to the skin and because people using sunscreens may also expose themselves to more sun than those who do not use sunscreen. They point out, however, that “as the advantageous properties of vitamin D for the prevention of an increasing list of diseases are becoming apparent, care should be taken not to limit sun exposure unduly in daily life”.

Source: Norval M and Wulf HC. Does chronic sunscreen use reduce vitamin D production to insufficient levels? British Journal of Dermatology 2009;161(4):732–6.

See:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2009.09332.x/abstract