Does sunlight go through clothes for vitamin D?

Can Sunlight Go Through Clothes for Vitamin D?

When it comes to soaking up the sun for your daily dose of vitamin D, what you wear actually matters a lot. You might wonder if sunlight can easily pass through your clothes to trigger that natural vitamin production, but the short answer is no.

To make vitamin D efficiently, your skin needs direct contact with ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Health experts generally recommend exposing areas like your face, arms, and legs to the sun for about 15 minutes—ideally without sunscreen blocking the way—to get enough of the nutrient.

However, any clothing covering these areas will block UVB rays and prevent the skin from converting sunlight into vitamin D. Even light fabrics or loose clothing filter out a significant amount of the light needed for this process. So, if you are bundled up in long sleeves and pants, your skin won't be absorbing the sun's vitamin D benefits in those covered spots, no matter how bright or sunny it feels outside.