Here’s the thing: you may get vitamin D from sunlight, but for many, exposure to the sun alone is not enough to provide all the vitamin D your body needs.

Even if you are outside all day in the heat, you still may be deficient in vitamin D. “In one study, [researchers] followed migrant farm workers in Florida as well as farm workers in Hawaii, Hu says on a recent episode of Clean Beauty School. – They found a significant deficiency of vitamin D in farm workers who do not use sunscreen. So even if you work outside in the field for eight hours a day in all kinds of sunny weather [conditions]you may still be deficient in vitamin D.”

What’s more, trying to get enough vitamin D while in the sun puts you at risk of dangerous skin treatments. After all, excessive sun exposure is the source of approx 80% of visible signs of skin aging1 and is a major cause of serious skin problems (melanoma being the most prominent). And even if you ignore these risks, you still vitamin D deficiency may occur!