“Those who bring
sunshine
into the lives of others
cannot keep it
from themselves.” 
James M. Barrie

Growing up in the Sunset District of San Francisco in the 1960s, where the typical summer day was characterized by persistent fog throughout much of the day, I was unaware of the need for sun protection unless my family and I were vacationing at the Russian River, in Boulder Creek, or on Cobb Mountain. The only sun products with which I was familiar were Sea & Ski and Coppertone, though some people I knew used Johnson’s Baby Oil to assist them in developing the sought-after tan skin color. In my family, we used Sea & Ski.

In a 2010 New York Times article, Dr. Darrell Rigel, past president of the American Academy of Dermatology, acknowledged that the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) in sun protection products available in the 1960s was only 2 to 4. Today, it is highly recommended that consumers use products with a minimum of 15-30 SPF. In fact, in my childhood, Sea & Ski was not advertised as sunscreen at all. It was marketed as suntan lotion. This product, and others like it, reduced the risk of sunburn, but did not filter out the UVA light, leaving generations of kids vulnerable to developing skin cancer in later years.

In the summer of 1971, I spent six weeks in Jamaica. During that time, we were fortunate enough to spend a fair amount of time at the beach. I’d been warned that the intensity of the sun in the Caribbean was not to be ignored. Still, I relied on Sea & Ski. I managed to avoid getting sunburned that summer. The “healthy tan,” with which I proudly returned home in August, lasted for almost a full year.

During my college and young adult years, it was all about the tan. Having a bronze face and body was evidence of being happy, healthy, and living a good life. I’m fairly certain that one of the best overall tans I ever got was in the summer of 1977 when I worked outdoors eight hours each day at the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. By ten o’clock each morning, my shirt was off. I wore cut-off jeans which exposed my legs to the sun, as well. Sunscreen? To be honest, I never gave it a thought. Other than my cut-off jeans, the only protection I had from the sun came from wearing shoes and socks. I paid dearly for this in early August when I spent a day on the beach in Santa Cruz with some friends. I wasn’t worried about getting burned, because I already had a deep, dark tan on most of my body. The next morning, I realized that I had sustained a severe sunburn on my ankles and feet. For several days, I was unable to wear shoes.

Not surprisingly, as the years passed, I found myself making regular visits to the Dermatology Department at Kaiser to have small spots removed from my forehead, nose, and arms. In 2013, it was determined that a small patch of skin cancer needed to removed from my left shoulder. When I consider the lifelong disregard I had for the damaging effects of the sun on my body, I am fortunate, and grateful, that the situation wasn’t any worse. 

I’ve been applying sunscreen to my face every day on a year-round basis for about twenty years now. I also seek shade, rather than direct sunlight, when sitting outdoors. I wear a hat now, too, whenever I’m walking outdoors during the day. I’m hoping that these modest changes will help to minimize any future damage.

There are certainly health benefits to getting direct sunlight. Exposure to sunlight boosts vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient which reduces the risk of heart disease. Sunlight also has a positive effect on our moods, which helps us to fight depression. Improved sleep patterns are another benefit of consistent exposure to the sun, especially in the morning hours. Finally, sunlight has been shown to improve blood pressure. 

Like anything else in life, it’s all about balance. Too much or too little of just about anything can be detrimental to our overall well-being. Even if we cannot tolerate sunshine as we did when we were younger, we can still make a conscientious effort to be the sunshine in the lives of those around us.