Sunlight, Sunscreen, and Sunglasses: The MK Way Take on Getting Sun

The sun isn't the enemy. Here's why we believe in daily sunlight without sunglasses, what to know about the ingredients in conventional sunscreen, how to choose a cleaner one, and the one rule that matters most: never burn.

MK Wellness InsightsFounded by Danielle Cordova, Cypress, TX

For decades, the message has been to avoid the sun: sunscreen every day, sunglasses every time you step outside, and stay in the shade. We see it differently. The human body evolved in sunlight, and sunlight drives processes the body depends on, from vitamin D to sleep to mood. The goal isn't to hide from the sun. It's to get it wisely, and to never burn.

Why Sunlight Is Good for the Body

• Vitamin D. Your skin makes vitamin D from UVB light. Vitamin D supports immune function, bone health, mood, and much more, and low levels are extremely common, especially in people who rarely spend time outside.
• Your circadian rhythm. Bright morning light entering the eyes tells your brain's master clock that the day has started. That sets the timing for cortisol in the morning and melatonin at night, which is why morning light is one of the most effective things you can do for better sleep. We cover sleep in 7 things that affect your sleep.
• Nitric oxide. Sunlight on the skin releases nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax. Research from the University of Edinburgh found it can lower blood pressure.
• Mood. Sunlight supports serotonin, one reason people feel better on sunny days and why light matters so much in the darker months.
• Red and infrared light. A large share of sunlight is red and near-infrared light, the same wavelengths behind red light therapy, which support the mitochondria.

Why We Skip the Sunglasses (Most of the Time)

Your eyes are how your brain reads the time of day. When light reaches special cells in the retina, it signals the brain's internal clock, and that's what anchors your circadian rhythm. Wearing sunglasses all day filters much of that signal, especially in the morning when it matters most.

That's why a morning walk without sunglasses is part of my daily routine. Never look directly at the sun. Just be outside, eyes uncovered, in natural light.

There are times sunglasses make sense: bright glare on water or snow, long days at high altitude, driving into the sun, and after eye procedures or with certain eye conditions. The point is to wear them when you need them, not by default.

What to Know About Conventional Sunscreen

Many conventional sunscreens use chemical UV filters, and some of those ingredients have raised real questions:

• Absorption into the body. In 2019 and 2020, FDA studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that common chemical filters, including oxybenzone, avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate, were absorbed into the bloodstream at levels above the FDA's threshold for requiring further safety testing.
• Hormone questions. Some of these filters, particularly oxybenzone, have shown hormone-disrupting activity in laboratory and animal research.
• Only two are recognized as safe and effective. In 2019, the FDA proposed that only two sunscreen ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, be generally recognized as safe and effective, and asked manufacturers for more data on the chemical filters.
• Reefs. Hawaii and Key West banned sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate because of concerns about harm to coral reefs.
• Everything else in the bottle. Fragrance, preservatives, and spray propellants add to the load, and some aerosol sunscreens were recalled in 2021 after benzene, a known carcinogen, was found in them.

How to Choose a Cleaner Sunscreen

For the times you'll be out long enough to burn:

• Mineral only: zinc oxide, or zinc oxide with titanium dioxide, as the active ingredients
• Non-nano zinc, if you want to avoid the smallest particles
• No oxybenzone or other chemical filters
• Fragrance-free
• Lotion or stick, not spray, so you're not breathing it in
• Check the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Guide to Sunscreens, updated every year, which rates products by ingredient safety

Our Approach: Build Up, Never Burn

Burning is what we avoid. A sunburn is real damage to the skin, and repeated burns are linked to skin cancer. Getting sun wisely means:

1. Start with morning and late-afternoon light, when the sun is gentler.
2. Build up gradually. Short sessions at first, a little longer as your skin adapts.
3. Know your skin. Fair skin burns faster. Pay attention and get out of the sun before you turn pink.
4. Cover up for long, midday exposure. Shade, a hat, and light clothing come first, then a clean mineral sunscreen.
5. Eat for your skin. Antioxidant-rich foods like tomatoes, berries, leafy greens, and healthy fats support the skin from the inside, part of the real-food approach in our nutrition guides.
6. Keep up with skin checks, and have any new or changing mole looked at.

Where MK Wellness Fits

We love light as a tool for health. Our Full Body Red Light Therapy delivers the red and near-infrared wavelengths found in sunlight, without the UV, which makes it a great complement on cloudy days and in winter.

MK Wellness services are non-medical and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. This article shares our approach to sunlight for general education, not medical advice. If you have a history of skin cancer, a photosensitive condition, or take medications that increase sun sensitivity, talk with your provider about sun exposure. Never look directly at the sun.

The Energy & Vitality Protocol at MK Wellness

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