Finally: A Sunscreen That Still Lets You Make Vitamin D

In the great vitamin D debate, most experts will tell you that even though it’s an essential vitamin for the body that’s main source is via sunlight, it’s not worth going out sans sunscreen to get it.

Now, there may be a solution that’s the best of both worlds: A sunscreen that blocks the sun’s harmful rays, but still lets the body produce vitamin D. Called the Solar D lotion and developed by an Australian company, this new sunscreen is claiming to offer an altered-ingredient formula that doesn't impact the SPF, but still allows for vitamin D production.

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In a report published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, corresponding author Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine and an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center, explained that, “Solar D was designed with compounds with differing filter compositions to maximize vitamin D production while maintaining its sun protection for reducing erythema or burning of the skin.”

Solar D is currently available in Australia, with reports saying we could see it stateside this summer.