Our world is illuminated and energized from the light released by the sun streaming earthward in the form waves. Those light waves are similar to the movement of water in the ocean, except solar waves, originating 90 million miles away and taking about 8 minutes to get to Earth, take on distinct wavelengths. Three of those wavelengths, known as UvA, UvB and UvC are invisible and have been associated with the damaging, and sometimes deadly effects conventionally attributed to solar radiation.

UvC, the shortest of the three wavelengths, is associated with skin cancers and is considered to be the most dangerous, but (theoretically anyway) the earth’s atmosphere offers protection.

As the lion of March morphs into the lamb of April, it’s spring time again! That means, in addition to the returning robins and budding leaves, it’s only a matter of time before the media is flooded with dermatological dogma about slathering ourselves in sunscreens and staying out of the sun. Yet we know that sun exposure is required to produce what may be the most important and multifunctional essential nutrient, the hormone like substance that is produced in the skin called Vitamin D, without which human life would not be possible. So what gives? Is the sun a demon in the sky, the source of photo-oxidation (sun related skin damage) resulting in splotches, wrinkles and cancer? Or is the solar orb our friend, emitting healing and nutritive energies that human beings require for their very existence?