HOW LONG SHOULD YOU STAY IN THE SUN WITHOUT PROTECTION?

SO HOW long can you safely go out in the midday sun without SPF?

A clue can be found in the research of endocrinologist Professor Michael Holick, as outlined in his book The Vitamin D Solution.

In the graphic on the right, you’ll find the number of minutes needed in the sunshine for those of different skin colours to produce a daily ‘dose’ of Vitamin D, depending on where you are in the world and the season – factors that govern how strong the sunlight is.

Once you’ve had your dose, apply sunscreen to minimise damage to the skin. This is based on 25 per cent of the skin being uncovered, but the more skin exposed to the sun, the better.