​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The elephant in the room (but in my community - we talk about it) ​ ​ ​

A nuanced conversation about photoaging

Hi Reader,

Real talk today.

You know where I stand on the sun......I think we're sun creatures. Our hormones depend on it, our skin and eyes need it, our mitochondria run on it, our circadian rhythm is built around it. The cultural panic around sunlight is one of the most destructive public health messages of the last 50 years.

But here's the elephant in the room I don't see talked about enough in the circadian and quantum biology spaces.

I keep seeing posts in the wellness world right now saying things like "stop obsessing about sunscreen, just get gentle sun all day, you can't really photo-age." And I'm sorry, but that's just as oversimplified as the dermatology messaging telling you to slather on SPF every time you step outside.

Keep reading for my thoughts on this & where I land - since many of my community members are women who are concerned about skin health.

🌞I would love to have you at my free webinar tomorrow about safe sun exposure! - Click here for all the details and to sign up​

Announcement: Want to work with me? We are taking applications now for our next cohort - click here to apply - spaces will be limited.

New Here? Check out - my Free Product guide + my Favorite Hair Care products FAQ Guide (updated) & my Updated Chlorine Protocol​

Yes, the sun can photo-age your skin (you can click on the photo above for my full article or keep reading for the cliff notes)

I actually noticed some photo-aging on my own face a few years into this work, and I had a choice. Either retreat back into the "stay out of the sun forever" panic, or pretend I hadn't seen anything and tell my audience the sun is harmless if you just do the basics, or figure out how to actually balance sun exposure with real skin health.

I chose the third option.

Because here's the truth: how your skin responds to the sun is largely a function of your terrain.

What you're eating. What's in your cell membranes. Your mineral status. Your antioxidant capacity. Your gut health. Your sleep. Your recent sun history. Your skin type. The pattern of exposure (chronic and gradual vs. intermittent and intense).

A woman with a depleted terrain who does a four-hour beach day at noon in July is going to age her skin. A woman with a built-up terrain who does 20 to 30 minutes of early UVB 4-5 days a week is in a completely different biological situation.

Both camps online right now are missing this. The "sun causes everything" camp AND the "you can't photo-age if you just do the basics" camp. Both are oversimplifying, and in my opinion - both are hurting women who deserve a more honest conversation.

That's what tomorrow is about!

I'm hosting a free webinar called Your Complete Summer Sun Guide at 1pm EST, and I'm walking through:

The truth about sunscreen (it's not all bad OR all fine, the details matter)

Why wearing sunglasses every time you step outside may be working against your circadian biology AND your skin

The vitamin and mineral deficiencies that make sun sensitivity dramatically worse

The seed oil connection most people don't know about

How to identify YOUR skin type and build a safe sun exposure protocol that actually works for you

Plus the food, supplements, and recovery rhythm I personally use to keep my skin healthy in my 40s while still getting real sun every day.

​Save your seat here ​

It's free, it's going to be packed with the science your dermatologist likely isn't talking about, and if you can't make it live, you'll get the replay.

See you Thursday.

Sarah

P.S. Substack subscribers got my full daily and weekly protocol yesterday, with exact doses, brands, timing, and the sunbathing build-up I do every spring. Click here to read it!​

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In Health🌞,

Sarah

PS - This newsletter is not medical advice nor a substitute for 1:1 care with a trusted practitioner!