There is no such thing as a responsible tan

This couldn’t be any further from the truth. For years, front groups like the Skin Cancer Foundation, which is secretly funded by the billion-dollar sunscreen and cosmetics industry, have scared Americans into thinking that they shouldn’t leave the house without donning SPF Ten-Thousand (or at least it seems that way). The standard advice of the Skin Cancer Foundation is to “apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours.” They even advise you to stay out of the sun from 10 am to 4 pm as a general rule.

Such extreme advice has backfired. By telling us to stay out of the sun, the sunscare industry has helped create an entire generation of Americans dangerously deficient in vitamin D—which is naturally produced when you expose your skin to UV light. In fact, researchers from Harvard Medical School estimate that 57 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient. That’s because our bodies naturally convert sunlight into vitamin D, but sunscreen above SPF 8 prevents our body from making the conversion.

An increasing number of dermatologists have seen the proverbial light. They are beginning to realize that we need a little sunshine every day. The problem remaining is that people living north of 37 degrees in cities like San Francisco, St. Louis, or Richmond can’t get enough sunlight during the winter to produce the minimum amount of vitamin D necessary to prevent deficiency. That’s why indoor tanning beds are a great way to get a healthy dose of vitamin D (and a tan, while you’re at it).