Can morning sunlight cure your acne? Expert shares insights

Aiming for safe sun exposure, especially morning sun can be very beneficial for your skin health. Here is how morning sunlight can cure your acne.

Acne can cause discomfort and embarrassment. Most adults and teenagers have acne at some point in their lives, and many have probably tried a number of over-the-counter and prescription treatments. Sunbathing has long been recommended as a natural treatment. Sun exposure is an overlooked part of healing. Aiming for safe sun exposure, especially morning sun can be very beneficial for your health. It helps keep cortisol happy, encourages more restful sleep and boosts your vitamin D which are all super important if you're struggling with acne. Apply sunscreen every time you are going to be in the sun, but make sure to pick an oil-free variety.

Can morning sunlight cure your acne? Expert shares insights(Unsplash)

Katie Stewart, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Acne Specialist, explained how morning sun helps to cure acne in her Instagram post.

1. Kickstart cortisol

Getting sunshine upon waking supports your Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). As soon as light enters your eyes cortisol quickly gets released for about 30-45 minutes until it peaks and then has a normal decline. Low CAR results in having trouble getting out of bed, feeling sluggish and needing coffee to make it through the day. Imbalances in cortisol lead to an increase in pore-clogging sebum.

2. Deeper sleep

if you're sleep-deprived, cortisol increases and causes stress on the body. Elevated cortisol levels mean more inflammation and more sebum production. A lack of sleep may also decrease your moisture levels, which lends to redness, dryness and acne. Sunlight acts as a trigger to "reset" your circadian rhythm (your sleep/wake cycle).