Our skin makes Vitamin D, an important molecule in our body particularly for maintaining calcium balance, when UVB, or ultraviolet B light, from the sun reaches our skin. UVB turns on the skin’s machinery to make vitamin D. But the darker our skin is, the less vitamin D it can make, because melanin, the dark pigment in our skin, absorbs UVB and prevents it from reaching its target in the skin, resulting in lower vitamin D levels. Additionally, as our skin gets thinner and weaker from years of sun exposure, it loses even more ability to make vitamin D. It is easy to restore vitamin D levels in our body by taking the appropriate amount of dietary supplementation recommended by your doctor. There is no need to spend a specific amount of time in the sun to support vitamin D levels. Wear your sunscreen every day, cover up, take a supplement, and save your skin!