Sun On The Face

Berkeley, Monday, December 1, 2025 5:21 PM

I understand that Mary kept several things on her heart. I hope I understand or feel.

A justification, discharging the loads might be good.

Two authors can write in this blog now. I acknowledge that, and the benefits of having a place for reflections are several. And it is great that additional projects in the context of relevant blog themes were proposed, to get started at some point: i.e. one about rivers of the world.

Writing is a beautiful way of reflection, although asynchronous, we might still connect to deep spiritual, or scientific, or observations, or philosophies, or Divine inspired writings since our writing history. Even if we do not meet the author, one connect to writing and to the author while reading it.

My preface can be longer and deadlines are killing me this week. But I do hope they won immobilize me.

A brief reflectionis regading a brief conversation from yesterday about skin exposure to direct sunlight at its peak hour, particularly about face expousre without sunscreen.

At some point I would need to read and learn more about this topic. One is limited in terms of time, obligations, knowledge, but there are basic things one must master, because those are part of day by day life. So, it is good to understand indeepth the benefits and drawbacks of sun exposure.

Probably, as in other several daily habits, using sun screen might have became a must do it, without thinking that much.

Starting in 2023, I have stopped to use it on a daily basis. One one hand, because while writing or reading, or while with an irregular time to bed and waking up time, I have reduced my opportunities to get direct sunlight.

Yet, I have learned from my grandmother, and a bit from my academic advisor, about the sun baths. My grandma and her sister, used to sit outside on their yard for an hour, while she was on her 90s. Probably, she ate an orange at that time, read something, she might have made a bit of progress with the knitting projects, although that was more often indoors, but she had to take that hour or so of sun exposure.

She wore a hat while under the sun. In Cuenca, the peak sun light is around noon. I am not sure if she used sun screen. Probably yes, but there is a chance that no as well.

Depending, if was going to campus, I was having lunch outside for many times during my residence at my academic department. Even, in Belgium, I enjoyed to sit and do something outside quite frequently. Of course, one needs to have the infrastructure, but that is also one of the beauties of public spaces, parks, river corridors, etc. Then, one need to have the habit or will. But it is true, that owning the infrastructure at the place where one life, might help with the practice, if time allows. It is good that where one lives can receive some sunlight.

But back to the basic question, I have heard about the dangers of direct sunlight. The peak sunlight in the Bay Area is about 3 PM, I believe.

On the other hand, since when we have used those sunscreens.

Further, in an analogy to the plants. Some of my plants get a hard time, because they do not have a chance to receive direct sunlight exposure.

In their case, sun is key to generate glucose, through photosynthesis. So a plant without sun would die, generally speaking for the vast majority of plants. Of course, there are some exceptions.

So back to the question of drawbacks and benefits of direct sun exposure at peak time, which to place a layer or screen protection to not diminish that sun exposure to our skin, at least through the face, which is harder to cover than the whole body, which might be inappropriate to not cover on a normal day in the city or town.

I bet there are cases, when is recommended to use sun screen, because of the higher risks. (Something I need to read more about one day).

But the question is, likely it is also beneficial to even our skin, but overall to our health to get that direct sun bath. We received one of those yesterday at peak sun time, in late Fall season though.

My question would, probably, be to add an additional variable to check in the daily calendar on the location where I live, which is related to the sun. I understand that there are those ultraviolet rays, but I also do not understand them yet. I might need to create a calendar, easy to remember in the mind, about the daily, annual, and hour oscillations of whatever is the sun risk exposure. Also, learn more about what are the sunscreen details to contrast the problem. Further, what are the benefits of “naked” skin exposure on one health, and what is the frequency and tolerance of that exposure.

This to place some ideas. Still, it is something that happens everyday. Thus, better to keep excelling on the topic.