Why sunshine helps your skin stay calm
Photo-induced nitric oxide modulation in human skin: Impacts of geographic location and seasonality on health and disease.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Sunlight releases a calming chemical called nitric oxide in your skin that fights harmful stress from the sun. When you don’t get enough sun (like in winter), this calming system breaks down, making skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis worse.
Surprising Findings
Nitric oxide isn’t just a signaling molecule—it’s stored in the skin as 'reserves' and released by sunlight alone, without needing enzymes.
Most people assume nitric oxide is only made by enzymes like iNOS—this study shows sunlight physically breaks open stored reserves, making it a passive, non-biological trigger.
Practical Takeaways
Spend 10–15 minutes of midday sun exposure on arms and legs 3–4 times per week if you have psoriasis, eczema, or vitiligo—without sunscreen, if safe for your skin type.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Sunlight releases a calming chemical called nitric oxide in your skin that fights harmful stress from the sun. When you don’t get enough sun (like in winter), this calming system breaks down, making skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis worse.
Surprising Findings
Nitric oxide isn’t just a signaling molecule—it’s stored in the skin as 'reserves' and released by sunlight alone, without needing enzymes.
Most people assume nitric oxide is only made by enzymes like iNOS—this study shows sunlight physically breaks open stored reserves, making it a passive, non-biological trigger.
Practical Takeaways
Spend 10–15 minutes of midday sun exposure on arms and legs 3–4 times per week if you have psoriasis, eczema, or vitiligo—without sunscreen, if safe for your skin type.
Publication
Journal
Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology
Year
2025
Authors
P. E. da Costa, M. S. Baptista
Related Content
Claims (6)
When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it releases a substance that helps relax your blood vessels, which can lower your blood pressure.
When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it releases a natural substance called nitric oxide that helps calm down harmful molecules in your skin and keeps things balanced — but this doesn't work right if you have long-term skin inflammation.
When there's less sunlight in winter or far from the equator, your skin makes less nitric oxide from sunlight, which can upset the balance in your skin and make conditions like psoriasis or eczema worse.
In people with certain skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, their bodies make too much of two harmful chemicals that combine to create a damaging substance, which throws off their natural balance and weakens their body’s ability to protect itself.
Some light-based treatments might help calm down angry, inflamed skin by copying how sunlight naturally balances certain chemicals in your skin, which could make conditions like eczema or psoriasis feel better.